Line Bonde (born c.1979) is a Danish
fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat and sometimes electronic warfare while in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft. Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare an ...
. In July 2006, aged 27, she became the first female Danish fighter pilot, flying an
F-16 jet fighter.
Biography
Bonde was brought up in
Billund,
Jylland, in a traditional Danish family where her father was the main salary earner while her mother worked half-time and took care of the home and her two daughters. While at school, she was a powerful swimmer, later becoming one of the best in Denmark. But swimming was not enough for her. Once she took part in a trial flight in a Danish Air Force
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted th ...
, she knew she was destined to become a pilot.
She failed her first test, not because of the physical or theoretical aspects but simply because the examining psychologist thought she knew too little about flying. She returned a year later, completing basic training in flying in 2002. She then spent two years at officers school followed by 16 months in the United States where she earned her wings after completing a course at the
Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Education ...
under the EURO-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training programme.
At the beginning of 2006, she returned to Denmark to serve at the
Fighter Wing Skrydstrup air force base.
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonde, Line
Living people
1970s births
People from Billund Municipality
Danish aviators
Danish women aviators