In this March 25, 2017, file photo, Rob Holland is taxiing an a MXS-RH during Los Angeles County Air Show at the William J Fox Airfield. In this March 25, 2017, file photo, Rob Holland is taxiing an a MXS-RH during Los Angeles County Air Show at the William J Fox Airfield. In this March 25, 2017, file photo, Rob Holland is taxiing an a MXS-RH during Los Angeles County Air Show at the William J Fox Airfield.
In this March 25, 2017, file photo, Rob Holland is taxiing an a MXS-RH during Los Angeles County Air Show at the William J Fox Airfield. An aerobatic pilot died Thursday in a crash at the Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, where he was set to participate in an airshow this weekend. Rob Holland, a full-time airshow pilot, was killed in the accident at the base in Hampton, according to his social media accounts.
"Rob was one of the most respected and inspiring aerobatic pilots in aviation history," a post on his Instagram account announcing his death stated. "Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday." In this March 25, 2017, file photo, Rob Holland is taxiing an a MXS-RH during Los Angeles County Air Show at the William J Fox Airfield.
Betto Rodrigues/Shutterstock, FILE The crash occurred on Thursday, shortly before noon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. An experimental MX Aircraft MXS crashed while the pilot was attempting to land at the base, the FAA said. The pilot was the only person on board, the FAA said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. In this Sept. 24, 2022, file photo, air show legend Rob Holland, in his MXS-RH, flies above the 2022 Miramar Airshow, in Miramar, Calif. Bill Chizek/Shutterstock, FILE Holland was set to participate in the Air Power Over Hampton Roads Airshow, happening Saturday and Sunday at the base. Col. Matt Altman, the Joint Base Langley-Eustis installation commander, said the base is ready to support the NTSB on Friday in the investigation and that details on the plans for the airshow will be released on Friday.
"We lost a great friend to the Air Force and an airman and a legend of air power," Altman said at a press briefing on Thursday. "On behalf of all of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, all the friends and family of the pilot, just want to offer our deepest, deepest condolences to the family the friends all who loved and respected him." Altman said they hold airshows at the base to inspire future airmen "to look up and imagine what can be — and this individual did it better than anybody."
In this Nov. 12, 2019, file photo, the Langley Air Force Base gate is shown near North Armistead Avenue in Hampton, Virginia. Kaitlin McKeown/Newport News Daily Press via TNS via Getty Images, FILE Holland was a 13-time U.S. National Aerobatic champion, according to his website biography. "Rob will be remembered as a friend, a mentor, a leader, and an innovator," Jim Bourke, president of the International Aerobatic Club, which organizes the competition, said in a statement.
"To Rob's family: words cannot express our grief over your loss, but we are so glad we were able to share Rob Holland with you."
