Paul Bonhomme (born 22 September 1964) is a British aerobatic and commercial airline pilot and was owner/race pilot of Team Bonhomme, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship Team from 2003 to 2015.
Racing career Bonhomme was born into a family of aviators. His father was an airline pilot and his mother, who worked mostly as a nurse, did a stint as a stewardess in the late 50's. His brother is also 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 787s for British Airways.
His aerobatics career started in 1986, flying Richard Goode’s Pitts Special, the “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 1000 public displays and flies vintage fighters for various companies including The Old Flying Machine Company and Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford Aerodrome and Air Leasing at Sywell.
Aircraft types Bonhomme has flown include the Supermarine Spitfire (MkI, MkV, MkVIII, MkIX, MkIXT, MkXI and MkXIV), Hawker Hurricane, P-40 Kittyhawk, F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, F8F Bearcat, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-63 Kingcobra, Hawker Sea Fury, P-51 Mustang and AD-4 Skyraider.
Starting in 1994 he flew formation displays and competitions 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 from its inception in 2003 until 2015, achieving an unsurpassed record of 46 podium finishes out of 65 races that includes 19 race wins. He was the World Champion in 2009, 2010 and 2015
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 other activities include helicopter instructing (when he can find time) and his latest and most prized enjoyment is gliding. He glides from the Cambridge Gliding Centre at Gransden Lodge (the third most fantastic gliding airfield in the south of England). He is married with a stepson and three daughters, and lives in South Cambridgeshire, England.
Paul Bonhommeat the Red Bull Air Race World ChampionshipYear 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12PointsWinsRank 20033rd NC 0 0 NC 20046th7th6th 2 08th 20056th7th3rd3rd5th3rd5th 17 05th 20067th8th6th CAN2nd2nd1st3rd2nd 26 14th 20073rd1st2nd2nd CAN1st2nd3rd3rd1st CAN5th 47 32nd 20081st1st2nd CAN1st7th3rd 10th CAN1st 54 42nd 20092nd2nd1st2nd1st1st 67 31st 20101st3rd3rd2nd1st2ndCANCAN 64 21st 20141st2nd5th5th1st5th7th5th 51 23rd 20151st1st8th2nd1st2nd1st2nd7641st
Legend: CAN: Cancelled DNP: Did not participate DNS: Did not show DQ: Disqualified NC: Not classified
See also Competition aerobatics Red Bull Air Race World Championship
References
External links
Home page of Paul Bonhomme Channel 4 Aerobatic displays Aerobatics website Red Bull Air Race World Series official website