A Legend in the New England Skies

Rob Holland was one of the most accomplished aerobatic pilots in the world, but to the members of the 157th Air Refueling Wing who worked with him, he was a humble, approachable New Englander passionate about sharing aviation with others.

Capt. Jake Ricciotti, a pilot with the 157th Air Refueling Wing, flew with Holland for many years and developed a deep friendship. Their first meeting would come to define the kind of person Holland was.

Elite athletes and renowned pilots are often remembered through rankings, medals and records, but Holland’s legacy extended far beyond his accomplishments. His 23-year career was record-setting: he won 12 consecutive U.S. National Aerobatic Championships, five world Freestyle Aerobatic Championships, and the International Council of Airshows Art Scholl Award for Showmanship.

During the reception party for the 2021 Thunder on the Buffalo Waterfront, Ricciotti recalls a room filled with loud personalities. But, a calmer presence stood out.

“To be part of the circus, you have to have kind of a big personality,” said Ricciotti. “And there was this tall, quiet gentleman in a hoodie across the way, casually talking with people, not talking about air.”

That was when Ricciotti realized the Blue Angels had walked over to greet the best individual air show performer in the world.

“I almost thought nothing of it because it was just so non-innocuous,” said Ricciotti. “Then the Blue Angels came in and walked over to him almost immediately. I was like, who's this?”

Ricciotti remembers Holland as having an incredible amount of approachability for someone so decorated in such an elite community. A guy that just wanted to hang out, have fun and enjoy life.

That same humility extended beyond the air show circuit and into New Hampshire’s aviation community. Younger pilots came to know Holland, not just as a champion, but as a mentor and guide.

“I grew up getting to know and fly with Rob at Hampton Airfield, where I worked and learned to fly,” said Tech. Sgt. Alex Bettcher, a boom operator with the 157th Operations Group. “Rob used to work as a flight instructor out of the airfield early in his aviation career.”

For Bettcher, it was Holland's passion for flying that created deep ties within the community.

“When Rob had free time, he would frequently visit,” said Bettcher. “Whether it was just for lunch at the Airfield Café or spending the day cruising around the seacoast in a Piper Cub, Rob was always a big part of the airfield community.”

Whether he was talking with aspiring pilots at Hampton Airfield or performing before thousands at an airshow, those around Holland remembered the same qualities: humility, dedication and authenticity.

Lt. Col. Michelle Mastrobattista, commander for the 157th Force Support Squadron and the 2023, 2025 Air Show Director, remembers him as a unique personality, unlike any pilot she’s ever encountered.

“He didn'tpresent as high strung, even though he was an absolute professional,” said Mastrobattista. “He knew what he was doing, and he knew why he was doing it. It was not to fill his ego by any means. It was to get people into something that he was excited about.”

Mastrobattista reminisces about Holland as a dedicated pilot who naturally educated people on aviation. She recalls his propensity to transmit excitement about his craft and his ability to make a dangerous thing exciting for people.

“Sometimes dangerous things are a deterrent for people to stay away from, but he was the opposite,” said Mastrobattista. “He took risks and he did it for the betterment of the aviation community at large.”

For Lt. Col. Shannon Van Splunder, 2021 Thunder Over New Hampshire air show director, that dedication didn’t just strengthen Holland’s own abilities. It bled into any event or moment he took part in. He helped elevate the standards of air shows while maintaining a hometown feel.

“He got us the F-22 demo team to come to our air show in 21,” said Van Splunder. “He went out of his way to no benefit of his own other than he wanted to hang out with his bros at the air show.”

Van Splunder recognized the extra work that came with the demo team’s participation in the air show, but she was also aware of how it raised the quality of the event.

During a critical moment for the 2023 event, Van Splunder witnessed Holland’s commitment to showmanship . The calm demeanor that characterized him helped save the final day of the show.

The remembers an overcast sky, rain, fog and high winds, and all the hard work that had gone into the show at risk. Almost all the performers were on standby. Rob Holland did not hesitate.

Van Splunder looks back on how his expertise came into play that day. Holland had accumulated more than 15,100 flight hours across 21 years of professional flying and more than 180 different aircraft types. He was set to fly the MXS-RH: his one-of-a-kind, all-carbon-fiber masterpiece, created specifically for him. She saw how his adaptability and innovation allowed him to jump into action and do what no one else could, perform.

“We had like hours where nobody else could fly, but because he was qualified to safely perform below standard weather minimums, he could do a low air show right above our airfield,” said Van Splunder. “He must have flown for three hours. Even the F-16scouldn'tgo up. But Rob Holland was flying.”

“He always pushed the limits of what airplanes could do and it always seemed like magic,” said Bettcher. “I will always continue to follow his simple words of advice “Fly good, don’t suck.”

For the Airmen and pilots who knew him, those moments in the sky were only a part of what made Holland memorable.

His legacy lives on not only through his accomplishments in aerobatics, but through the people he inspired. “Every conversation with him I learned more about aviation than I could have ever imagined,” said Bettcher. “He truly cared about everyone and was committed to showing his community, and really the world the wonders of aviation.”

As the Airmen of Pease remember him, his impact remains deeply emblematic and personal. Holland holds a special place in the hearts and minds of those who got the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with him.