Why Air Force pilots honored an air show pilot by burning a piano

Why Air Force pilots honored an air show pilot by burning a piano

Pilots at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, reached back to a tradition born in the early decades of combat flying to pay tribute to a stunt pilot who died at the base. Flyers and other personnel gathered at sunset on Friday, April 25, to burn a piano, a tradition among fighter pilots that dates at least to World War II, in tribute to stunt pilot Rob Holland, who died in a crash on the base the day before. Holland crashed on the base’s runway wh…