Nationality United Kingdom Role Aerobatic Pilot Name Paul Bonhomme | Aircraft Zivko Edge 540 First race 2003 | |
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Born 22 September 1964 (age 59) ( 1964-09-22 ) Best position 1st (2009, 2010 and 2015) Movies 2008 Red Bull Air Race World Championship Similar People Hannes Arch, Nigel Lamb, Matt Hall, Peter Besenyei, Kirby Chambliss | ||
Paul bonhomme interview
Paul Bonhomme (born 22 September 1964) is a British aerobatics and commercial airliner pilot and owner/race pilot of Team Bonhomme, the World Champions of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship and current Red Bull Air Race World Champion for 2015.
Contents
- Paul bonhomme interview
- Paul bonhomme s top 5 red bull air race moments
- Racing career
- Awards
- Personal life
- References
Paul bonhomme s top 5 red bull air race moments
Racing career
Bonhomme was born into a family of aviators. His father was an airline pilot and his mother worked as a flight attendant. His brother is a commercial pilot.
Bonhomme's flying career started in 1980 at White Waltham Airfield as a general dogsbody by cleaning hangars, polishing aircraft and refuelling aircraft.
At age 18 he gained his Private Pilot Licence taking first the FAA licence at Redbird Airfield near Dallas Texas and subsequently became a flight instructor. In 1985 he became an air taxi pilot and in 1987 joined Air Cymru, a Welsh charter airline, flying the Boeing 737. He now flies as a captain of Boeing 747s for British Airways.
His aerobatics career started in 1986, flying an Ultimate Pitts. He went on to fly the Yak-50, Extra 300 and then the Sukhoi Su-26 in 1991 for Richard Goode Aerobatics. He has flown over 650 public displays and flies vintage fighters for "The Old Flying Machine Company" at Duxford Aerodrome.
Aircraft types Bonhomme has flown include the Supermarine Spitfire (MkV, MkIX, MkIXT and MkXIV), Hawker Hurricane, P-40 Kittyhawk, F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, F8F Bearcat, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-63 Kingcobra, P-51 Mustang and AD-4 Skyraider.
Since 1994 he has been flying formation displays around the world with his colleague former Air Race pilot and Television commentator Steve Jones as "The Matadors". They won three gold medals and one silver medal in the FAI series. He has competed in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship since its inception in 2003 achieving an unsurpassed record of 46 podium finishes out of 65 races that includes 19 race wins.
Awards
In 2010 Paul was awarded the Guild Sword of Honour by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.
Bonhomme was the 2009 recipient of the Segrave Trophy.
Personal life
Bonhomme's hobbies include flying his own Robinson R22 Helicopter. He is married with a stepson and three daughters, living in South Cambridgeshire, England.
(* Season still in progress)
Legend: