A Look Back at Some of Aerobatic Pilot Rob Holland’s Aerial Achievements
Rob Holland at Quonset Point Rhode Island in 2017
Photos by Scott Zeno and Alice Leong, story by Ken Kula.
This is a short tribute to aviator Rob Holland, who was born on May 30, 1974 in Massachusetts. He graduated from New Hampshire’s Daniel Webster College in 1997 with degrees in both Aviation Flight Operations and Aviation Management. It was while he attended Daniel Webster College that he became a rated pilot and began learning aerobatics. Rob Holland died when his MXS-RH aerobatic plane crashed on April 24, 2025. Rob was a well-known professional aerobatic pilot, not only in the United States but around the world. He set lofty records for consistently winning aerobatic competitions and at age 51 he continued to display awe-inspiring air show routines.
Inverted while in the Rhode Island skies in 2018
There are two separate disciplines in which Rob displayed his flying talents. As a competitive aerobatic pilot, he won 14 U. S. National Freestyle Aerobatic championships between 2008 and 2024, and 13 U. S. National Aerobatic titles between 2011 and 2024. Rob also won the World Four-Minute Freestyle Aerobatic Championship 6 times between 2011 and 2024, the only pilot to reach this plateau. In total, Rob won 37 medals while competing in international competitions, with 14 of these being Gold Medals.
Fast pass at MCAS Cherry Point, 2018
His other discipline was as an airshow performer, most recently under the “Rob Holland Ultimate Airshows” moniker. In the beginning of his 23-year career, Rob flew as a team member with several multi-ship aerobatic teams. For most of his career though, he performed solo in a series of single-engined aircraft (Pitts S-2C, Ultimate 20-300S, MX2 and MXS-RH). He began using his last aircraft, the one-of-a-kind MXS-RH, in 2011. Rob developed a series of eye-catching high energy aerobatic maneuvers for his routine, which his carbon-fiber constructed, 380 horsepower monoplane could readily accomplish.
Top view of the MXS-RH aerobatic aircraft at MCAS Cherry Point, 2018
For his air show and aerobatic competition accomplishments, Rob was honored as the 2012 Art Scholl Award for Showmanship winner and won the Charlie Hillard Trophy 5 times between 2013 and 2024. The International Council of Air Shows awards the Art Scholl Showmanship Award every year to the air show act or performer which presents the high level of showmanship that the late, legendary aerobatic pilot Art Scholl displayed. The Charlie Hilliard trophy was created by the U. S. Aerobatic Foundation, named after the first American to win the World Aerobatic Championships in 1972. It is awarded to the highest placing American in each of the biennial world aerobatic competitions… and Rob most recently won this award by winning the Bronze medal in 2024. In 2019, Rob was awarded the Eric Muller Trophy for winning the “Unknown Program” at the World Aerobatic Championships as well.
Rob Holland in the MSX-RH at Geneseo, New York in 2011
Rob was a team member on 10 different American Unlimited and Advanced Aerobatic teams formed to compete internationally, and his leadership abilities were recognized by being named as the U. S. Aerobatic Team Captain 5 times for these international competitions.
Rob at Quonset Point in 2017
Unfortunately, Rob Holland perished in a plane crash – not while performing aerobatics – but while on a short final approach to land at Langley AFB ahead of a weekend air show appearance. Initial reports point to a mechanical problem within the empennage, as a screw interfered with the aircraft’s elevator controls.
