DES MOINES, Iowa — Families gathered at the Valley Community Center for storytime with WHO 13’s Ed Wilson and astronaut Robert L. Gibson.

Families enjoyed inflatables, readings, and build-a-book workshops. Also in attendance was five-time astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson, who shared his own children’s book with the audience.

Published in October 2024, “First Flight” follows a young owlet who strives to master the art of flying. Gibson says the story is special to him as it wasn’t just his extraordinary career that shaped this story, but his family.

“I have been really close to my grandson, Andrew, because he only lives ten minutes away from me back in Tennessee. And I would take him flying in my Beechcraft Bonanza. And he loves it,” said Gibson. “We should write a story about another hoot that takes his grandson, Andrew, flying. And so, it wound up being a wise old owl named Hoot and his little owl, that grandson Andrew.”

Author is just one of the many hats Gibson has worn in his life. Gibson was taught how to fly by his father, and once he was out of college, his course was set.

“I went right into the Navy and through Navy pilot training, I learned all over again to do things the Navy way and then got to be a Navy fighter pilot and flew in the Vietnam War, Navy test pilot, and then got picked in the very first space shuttle astronaut class in 1978.”

During his time with NASA, Gibson flew five missions from 1984 to 1995. Gibson also flew the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, famous for its appearance in the 1986 film “Top Gun.”

“Yeah, similar to Tom Cruise, except I actually flew it. So, every time I put the photo up of my F-14 Tomcat with Lieutenant Bob Gibson in the cockpit, I usually always say Tom Cruise, eat your heart out. I actually got to fly these.”

Rightfully known as the man who flew everything, after retiring from NASA, Gibson flew with Southwest Airlines. Gibson now spends his time on home-built aircrafts and working with the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.