Paul Bonhomme

Paul Bonhomme

Born	(1964-09-22) 22 September 1964
Nationality	United Kingdom
Racing career
First race	2003
Best position	1st (2009, 2010 and 2015)
Aircraft	Zivko Edge 540
Website
teambonhomme.com https://www.facebook.com/teambonhomme55

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.

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.

Bonhomme in the 2010 Red Bull Air Race

At age 18 he gained his Private Pilot License 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.^[1]

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.

Paul Bonhomme at the Red Bull Air Race World Championship
Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Points	Wins	Rank
2003	3rd	NC											0	0	NC
2004	6th	7th	6th										2	0	8th
2005	6th	7th	3rd	3rd	5th	3rd	5th						17	0	5th
2006	7th	8th	6th	CAN	2nd	2nd	1st	3rd	2nd				26	1	4th
2007	3rd	1st	2nd	2nd	CAN	1st	2nd	3rd	3rd	1st	CAN	5th	47	3	2nd
2008	1st	1st	2nd	CAN	1st	7th	3rd	10th	CAN	1st			54	4	2nd
2009	2nd	2nd	1st	2nd	1st	1st							67	3	1st
2010	1st	3rd	3rd	2nd	1st	2nd	CAN	CAN					64	2	1st
2014	1st	2nd	5th	5th	1st	5th	CAN	5th					51	2	3rd
2015	1st	1st	8th	2nd	1st	2nd	1st	2nd					76	4	1st

(* Season still in progress)

Legend:

CAN: Cancelled
DNP: Did not participate
DNS: Did not show
DQ: Disqualified
NC: Not classified

References

↑ "Paul Bonhomme Receives Segrave Trophy". Life magazine. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul Bonhomme.

^[1]

Sporting positions
Preceded by Hannes Arch	Red Bull Air Race World Series Champion 2009–2010	Succeeded by Nigel Lamb (2014)
Preceded by Allan McNish	Segrave Trophy 2009	Succeeded by Adrian Newey

Red Bull Air Race World Championship champions

Three-time	Paul Bonhomme (2009, 2010, 2015)

Two-time	Kirby Chambliss (2004, 2006) Mike Mangold (2005, 2007)

One-time	Hannes Arch (2008) Péter Besenyei (2003) Nigel Lamb (2014)

Red Bull Air Race World Championship pilots

Current pilots - Master	Cristian Bolton Kirby Chambliss Matthias Dolderer Michael Goulian Matt Hall Nicolas Ivanoff Petr Kopfstein Nigel Lamb François Le Vot Pete McLeod Yoshihide Muroya Peter Podlunšek Martin Šonka Juan Velarde

Current pilots - Challenger	Mélanie Astles Francis Barros Florian Berger Kevin Coleman Luke Czepiela Ben Murphy Daniel Ryfa

Former pilots	Hannes Arch Péter Besenyei Paul Bonhomme Glen Dell Steve Jones Jurgis Kairys Adilson Kindlemann Alejandro Maclean Mike Mangold David Martin Sergey Rakhmanin Klaus Schrodt Frank Versteegh

Aerobatics

Aircraft	List of aerobatic aircraft

Competitions	European Gliding Championships FAI European Aerobatic Championships FAI World Aerobatic Championships FAI World Grand Prix Red Bull Air Race World Championship World Gliding Championships

Maneuvers	Loop (Inside & Outside) Aileron roll Barrel roll Cuban Eight Falling leaf Hesitation roll Immelmann turn Kulbit Lomcevak Pugachev's Cobra Slip Spin Split S Stall Turn/Hammerhead Tailslide The Scissors Whifferdill turn Zurabatic Cartwheel

Organizations	British Aerobatic Association Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (Aresti Catalog) International Aerobatic Club International Miniature Aerobatic Club

Pilots	Cecilia R. Aragon Hannes Arch Princess Basmah Bani Ahmad Lincoln J. Beachey Péter Besenyei Ladislav Bezák Marta Bohn-Meyer Paul Bonhomme Pip Borrman Kirby Chambliss Julie Clark Marion Cole Vicki Cruse Mario de Bernardi Glen Dell Matthias Dolderer Wilhelm Düerkop Walter Extra Markus Feyerabend Gerhard Fieseler Jozef Gabris Michael Goulian Matt Hall Wayne Handley Ray Hanna Charlie Hillard Bob Hoover Bevo Howard Petr Jirmus Steve Jones Jurgis Kairys Georgij Kaminski Svetlana Kapanina Sándor Katona Charlie Kulp Anatoly Kvochur Nigel Lamb Jim LeRoy François Le Vot Leo Loudenslager Nancy Lynn Alejandro Maclean Pete McLeod Jerzy Makula Stanisław Makula Mikhail Mamistov Mike Mangold Scott Manning Catherine Maunoury Neil Williams Pyotr Nesterov Alexandr Panfierov Ivy May Pearce Adolphe Pégoud František Peřina Tom Poberezny Maciej Pospieszyński Sergey Rakhmanin Amelia Reid Olaf Schmidt Art Scholl Klaus Schrodt Betty Skelton Erde Skip Stewart Martin Šonka Gene Soucy Chris Sperou Victor Tchmal Reinhold Tiling Ferenc Tóth Sean D. Tucker Nick Turvey Ernst Udet Gabor Varga Juan Velarde Frank Versteegh Patty Wagstaff Kermit Weeks Walter Wolfrum Janusz Żurakowski

Other	3D Radio control Virtual Festival of Aerobatic Teams

↑ http://www.redbullairrace.com/en_GB/article/bonhomme-hall-and-arch-make-2015-wc-podium

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