Paul Bonhomme

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 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 from its inception in 2003 until 2015, achieving an unsurpassed record of 46 podium finishes out of 65 races that includes 19 race wins.

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]

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	7th	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

• Competition aerobatics
• Red Bull Air Race World Series

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul Bonhomme.

• Home page of Paul Bonhomme
• Channel 4
• Aerobatic displays
• Aerobatics website
• Red Bull Air Race World Series official website

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