[2] In 1928, Holman set a world record of 1,433 consecutive loops in an airplane in five hours over the St. Paul Airport.

In 1917, Holman raced motorcycles at the Minnesota State Fair, earning the nickname "Slim", and later, "Speed".

In 1927, he won the New York to Spokane cross country air derby in a Laird commercial biplane.

[7][8] By 1929, Holman was a leading pilot for Northwest airlines, gaining more notoriety becoming the fourth person in the world to perform the outside loop, and first to do so in a commercial aircraft.

[11] Holman died at age 32 when his upside-down aircraft crashed on May 17, 1931, at the opening of an airport in Omaha, Nebraska, in front of 20,000 spectators.