HAMPTON, Va. — The pilot in a crash at Langley Air Force Base has been identified as aerobatic pilot Rob Holland, according to his social media.
Holland was described as “the most respected and inspiring aerobatic pilots in aviation history” in a post on his Facebook page. The post stated that Holland died in a crash at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton.
Joint Base Langley-Eustis has not officially identified Holland as the pilot, but speaking with reporters Thursday evening, JBLE installation commander Col. Matt Altman said, “We lost a great friend to the Air Force, and an airman, and a legend of air power.”
Altman went on to say, “On behalf of all of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, all the friends and family of the pilot, [we] just want to offer our deepest, deepest condolences to the family, the friends, all who loved and respected him. I’d like to offer my thanks to our first responders who responded quickly to the scene, secured the aircraft, and thanks to the local community partners and fire and medical services who offered their support as well.”
The Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show is scheduled to take place at the base this weekend, and Holland was scheduled to be in Hampton Roads, per his website.
According to the E3 Aviation Association, Holland was 50 years old. The New England native earned a dual bachelor’s degree in aviation flight operations and aviation management from Daniel Webster College in 1997. He had more than 15,000 flight hours across more than 180 aircraft types.
E3 Aviation reports that Holland frequently flew his custom-built MXS-RH, a carbon-fiber, single-seat “aerobatic masterpiece.”
Holland’s website states he won a record-setting 12 consecutive U.S. National Aerobatic Championships, five world Freestyle Aerobatics Championships and the Art Scholl Award for Showmanship, a prestigious honor for airshow pilots.
“His performances were not just displays of skill but expressions of artistry, pushing the boundaries of aerobatics with groundbreaking maneuvers that earned him multiple championship titles and a place among the most decorated pilots in U.S. history,” E3 Aviation wrote.
The release stated that Holland’s death “leaves an unfillable void in the aviation community and in our hearts.”
“Yet, his spirit will continue to soar in every pilot he inspired, every airshow he elevated, and every boundary he pushed,” the release stated. “As we mourn this heartbreaking loss, we also celebrate a life lived at full throttle, a legacy that will endure as long as there are wings to take flight.”
“I think I’m one of millions of people who saw this individual fly,” Altman told reporters on Thursday. “We do air shows to open the base and to bring people on to inspire future airmen, to look up and imagine what can be. And this individual did it better than anybody. So I think myself, everybody on this base, and particularly those folks who wear flight suits and challenge the skies will deeply, deeply miss him.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.
