Robert L. Gibson

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Robert L. Gibson bigraphy, stories - Astronauts

Robert L. Gibson : biography

October 30, 1946 –

Robert Lee "Hoot" Gibson (born October 30, 1946) is a retired Captain and Naval Aviator in the United States Navy and a retired NASA astronaut.

Education

Gibson graduated from Huntington High School, Huntington, New York as a part of the class of 1964, and went on to earn an associate degree in engineering science from Suffolk County Community College in 1966. He received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from California Polytechnic State University in 1969.

Awards and honors

  • Awarded the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) "Louis Blériot Medal" (1991 and 2004)
  • Awarded the "Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal" by the FAI
  • Awarded the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) "Freedom of Flight" Award (1989)
  • U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (2003)
  • National Aviation Hall of Fame (2012)
  • Established FAI world records for "Altitude in Horizontal Flight," Airplane Class C1A in 1991, "Time to Climb to 9000 Meters" in 1994 and "Speed over a closed course" in 2004.
  • Awarded the William F. Shea award for contribution to aviation from the University of Nebraska-Omaha Aviation Institute (2012)
  • U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame (2012)

Military awards include the:

  • Defense Superior Service Medal
  • Distinguished Flying Cross
  • Air Medal (3)
  • Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V"
  • Navy Unit Commendation
  • Meritorious Unit Commendation
  • National Defense Service Medal (2)
  • Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
  • Humanitarian Service Medal
  • Vietnam Service Medal
  • Vietnam Campaign Medal

Military career

Gibson entered active duty with the Navy in 1969. He received basic and primary flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola and Naval Air Station Saufley Field, Florida, and Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi. He completed advanced flight training at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas and was assigned to Fighter Squadron 121 (VF-121) at Naval Air Station Miramar, California for replacement training in the F-4 Phantom II.

While assigned to Fighter Squadron 111 (VF-111) and Fighter Squadron 1 (VF-1) from April 1972 to September 1975, he saw duty aboard the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) and the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), flying combat missions in Southeast Asia in the F-4 with VF-111 and making the initial operational carrier deployment of the F-14 Tomcat with VF-1. He is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known as "TOPGUN."

Gibson returned to the United States and an assignment as an F-14A instructor pilot with Fighter Squadron 124 (VF-124) at Naval Air Station Miramar. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland in June 1977 and later became involved in the test and evaluation of improvements to the F-14A aircraft while assigned to the Naval Air Test Center’s Strike Aircraft Test Directorate.

Selected as a NASA astronaut, he continued to be promoted, eventually achieving the rank of Captain in the U.S. Navy and the rank at which he retired from active naval service.

His flight experience included over 6,000 hours in over 50 types of civil and military aircraft. He held an airline transport pilot license which expired in 2006, But is still current in these a multi-engine, and instrument rating. He has held a private pilot rating since age 17. Gibson has also completed over 300 carrier landings.

Post-NASA career

Gibson left NASA in November 1996 and became a pilot for Southwest Airlines. In 2006, as reported by NASA Watch, Gibson was forced to retire as mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration for commercial airline pilots. Gibson has publicly spoken out against federal regulations which require airline pilots to retire at age 60. In December 2006, he joined the Benson Space Company as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Test Pilot. Gibson has flown 111 different aircraft types, and competed at the 2007 Reno Air Races.