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Paul Bonhomme of Great Britain has been the most stylish pilot in the race for the last two seasons but has come up frustratingly empty-handed when it comes to championships, narrowly missing the title in both 2007 and 2008. An all-round class act both in the sky and on the tarmac, Bonhomme has paid a heavy price for brief but costly lapses of concentration as well as some bad luck in the previous two seasons – mistakes at the wrong time that the pilot from Cambridgeshire is determined to avoid in 2009. With two consecutive second place finishes overall, Bonhomme is keen to finally bring the crown home to Britain in 2009. He certainly knows how to win races, racking up three victories in 2007 before losing the title to American Mangold and winning four races in 2008 but seeing Austria’s Hannes Arch just beat him at the finish.

“The main goal for 2009 is consistency,” said Bonhomme, who despite winning four of the eight races was undone by his failure to get on the podium in London and Porto while Arch had just two wins but seven podiums. “Perhaps we could have done better on that score in 2008. As Hannes showed last year, you don’t necessarily have to win everything but you need to stay somewhere near the top. The goal was to win the championship last year and we didn’t achieve that. We’re looking forward to 2009.”
With what appeared to be the fastest plane in the race at the start of last season, Bonhomme was on his way to becoming master of the universe in the first two races, winning by comfortably wide margins in Abu Dhabi and then San Diego before just being edged by Kirby Chambliss in Detroit. Flying brilliantly, Bonhomme got back on top of the podium in Rotterdam and with three wins in the first four races, he seemed a sure thing for the title last year. But Bonhomme suffered his first pylon hit in nearly two years in his home race in London and ended up 7th. He recovered to get 3rd in Budapest but then got disqualified in qualifying in the penultimate race in Porto, which Arch won to take the lead. A 4th victory in Perth was not enough to catch Arch.

“I was disappointed with my tactical mistake in London and very much annoyed with Porto – a shame after such a good start to the season,” said Bonhomme, who spent the off-season trying to come to terms with the fact he won more races last year than anyone else but still came up short. “I don’t like the points system where I won four races but finished second. But I would say that, wouldn’t I?”
Bonhomme was more consistent in his breakout season of 2007, with nine straight podium finishes before falling to 5th in the final race. He knows the increased competition at the top of the field will make winning the championship in 2009 even harder than in the past but believes some secretive technical improvements to his plane and physical training will help his cause. In his white Edge 540, Bonhomme has developed a world-wide following of fans by making it almost look easy with his graceful style of flying. He continues to fly in the “Matadors” aerobatic team with former race pilot Steve Jones and enjoys flying vintage aircraft from Duxford.

Bonhomme comes from a long line of aviators. His father was a pilot in the British Army Air Corps and later an airline captain. His brother is also an airline captain. Bonhomme, who flies long-haul jumbo jets between races, began cleaning planes as a boy at an Aero Club and earned his flying licence at 17. He immediately turned to aerobatics and has flown in over 600 air shows since 1986.

Flying achievements
2005:FAI WGP, Bronze, U.A.E.; Gold, Switzerland
2005:FAI WGP, Gold, Switzerland
2004:FAI WGP, Gold, U.A.E.
2002: FAI WGP, Silver, Czech Republic; Gold, Japan
2001:FAI WGP, Silver, Japan
2000:FAI World Grand Prix, Gold Medal, Japan
FAI WGP Championships – three 1st place medals, one 2nd place medal
All FAI WGP results in the formation team category as the Sukhoi Duo/Matadors