Officials with the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) report that a documentary about one of its legendary enshrinees, Robert A. “Bob” Hoover, has earned its producer/writer/director, Kim Furst the 13th Annual Combs Gates Award.
“Flying the Feathered Edge: The Bob Hoover Project” tells the life story of the man many consider to be “the pilot’s pilot,” who was inducted into the NAHF in 1988.
Furst will be presented the $20,000 award Nov. 18 at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) 68th Annual Meeting & Convention in Las Vegas. Presenting the award will be representatives of the NAHF, as well as several Hall of Fame enshrinees, including the film’s subject, Hoover, now 93.
The 86-minute documentary interweaves vintage still images, rare historic footage, and exclusive testimonials from other legends of aviation to bring Hoover’s story and accomplishments to life.
The gentlemanly Hoover, who began his flying career as a combat fighter pilot and test pilot, later influenced generations of pilots with his precision flying and wowed millions of spectators with awe-inspiring air show performances.
“Feathered Edge” has garnered worldwide acclaim from both fans of aviation and of film since its release in 2014, and is now available in DVD and BluRay formats.
The award grew out of a donation to the NAHF by the late Harry Combs, a 1996 enshrinee of the Hall of Fame. As part of his $1.3 million gift toward the creation of a NAHF research center, Combs stipulated that the Combs Award be established to encourage and support relevant aviation history research and preservation efforts.
This year marks the 13th year for the award and its 10th year with the name changed to reflect a multi-year commitment by the Gates Frontiers Fund to fund the award. Charles Gates, who passed away in 2005 at age 84, was a partner with Combs in several aviation businesses, including the Combs Gates FBO chain and Gates Learjet.