Aerobatics pilot promises 'lot of fun' as he flies in Pease air show, over Hampton Beach
In an air show career that has spanned 21 seasons, pilot and performer Rob Holland has never traveled between towns and cities in a matter of a few hours to perform.
There’s a first time for everything: Holland will perform in the Thunder Over New Hampshire Air Show at Pease Air National Guard Base in Portsmouth and the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival both Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 9-10.
The 49-year-old pilot from Nashua, New Hampshire will fly between Portsmouth and Hampton twice to dazzle spectators. Holland has performed in past editions of the Thunder Over New Hampshire Air Show. It will be his first time putting his aerobatic skills on display over Hampton Beach.
“If you can think of it, I'll probably do it. If you’ve blinked, you probably missed it,” he said of his act. “Portsmouth is always great because it’s a hometown show. To actually come home and fly for family and friends and all the local people is going to be a lot of fun.”
More: Can I still get into Thunder Over NH Air Show 2023 at Pease? Everything you need to know
Holland's “nonstop, action-packed” 13-minute act includes flying sideways and rolling the plane.
Holland's itinerary between Portsmouth and Hampton Beach
Holland’s performances at Thunder Over New Hampshire and the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival will occur on Saturday and Sunday. On both days, he anticipates flying in the opening of the Pease air show around noon, then flying over to Hampton Beach to perform around 1:15 p.m., and returning to Portsmouth, where he’ll land at Pease and refuel the cooling plane before conducting his full Thunder Over New Hampshire performance around 3 p.m.
“I’ll need to stay hydrated,” he said. “It’s going to be a long day. I’m used to flying more than once a day in a show but never back-to-back like this.”
More: Hampton Beach Seafood Festival 2023: What to know about food, mini air show, more
Holland’s Hampton Beach performance will be a full circle moment of sorts, as some of his first work in the aviation industry came at Hampton Airfield, which is in North Hampton.
“Flying along the beach all the time, I always thought it would be a great place to have an air show,” he said.
How Holland became an air show performer
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Holland and his parents used to attend air shows in the Bay State, triggering his obsession with flying and dreams of becoming a pilot and performer.
“I was just infatuated with it and knew I wanted to do it,” he said.
Holland attended the now-closed Daniel Webster College in Nashua, which was founded in 1965 as the New England Aeronautical Institute. He later took odd jobs in aviation and became a flight instructor, a commuter pilot and corporate pilot, and taught aerobatics, all with the ultimate goal of becoming an air show flier.
Around 10 years into his career, using a borrowed plane, he performed in an air show for the first time. He now averages about 24 air shows annually, with the season running from late March or early April until November.
In 2023, he will have flown in 27 total shows by the end of the season.
“There is always kind of a constant growth if you do it right,” he said. “You want to start with the fundamentals and be safe and keep building what you have. I’ve always tried to do what nobody else does. I watch what other people do to not do that.”
Working as an air show pilot is his sole job, he spends the offseason gearing up for the next season. This year alone, his act has taken him to Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Illinois and Wisconsin, and before he closes out the season, Holland will also fly in Virginia and Arkansas.
Holland promises show will be 'a lot of fun'
The plane he uses for his routines, an MXS-RH, has a cockpit that was designed exactly to his specifications.
“This single seat, competition and airshow-ready aircraft is designed and built by MX Aircraft in North Carolina, and incorporates design modifications suggested by Rob himself,” a description on Holland’s website states. “Powering this aerobatic monster is a Lycoming engine producing 380 horsepower. Weighing in at a minimal 1200 pounds, this state-of-the-art aerobatic masterpiece boasts astonishing performance, is capable of pulling 16 positive and negative Gs, and rolls at nearly 500 degrees per second.”
Holland said crowds are sure to be entertained.
“The show is going to be a lot of fun and a wide variety of acts,” he said of Thunder Over New Hampshire. “There’s really energy-driven aerobatics like what I’m doing. There’s a wide spectrum of aviation that’ll be there on the display and it’s a great family atmosphere.”
More: Where can you watch 2023 Thunder Over NH Air Shows outside Pease? Here are great spots.
The Pease air show will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 9-10. Both shows will run from noon to 4 p.m., with gates opening in the morning. A rehearsal is planned Friday at noon.
The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival is being held on Friday through Sunday, Sept. 8-10. On Friday, the festival’s hours are from noon to 9 p.m., followed by 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rob Holland flying in Pease air show, over Hampton Beach Seafood Fest
