Robert L. Gibson

About Robert L. Gibson

Huntington High School,Associate degree in Engineering Science-Suffolk County Community College, Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering-California Polytechnic State University

Robert Lee "Hoot" Gibson (born October 30, 1946), (Capt, USN, Ret.), is a former American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and a retired NASA astronaut, as well as a professional pilot whom currently races regularly at the annual Reno Air Races.

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.

United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program(TOPGUN.):

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."

NASA career:

Selected by NASA in January 1978, Gibson became an astronaut in August 1979. Gibson flew five missions: STS-41-B in 1984, STS-61-C in 1986, STS-27 in 1988, STS-47 in 1992, and STS-71 in 1995. Gibson served as Chief of the Astronaut Office (December 1992 to September 1994) and as Deputy Director, Flight Crew Operations (March–November 1996).

Robert L. Gibson Achievements

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