A fighter pilot, flight leader and later captain of a water-bomber aircraft, Lionel Bonhomme shares his rare experience of situations in which the quality of decisions, trust within the team and self-control can make all the difference.
A vocation born in his teens
A native of the Hautes-Alpes, Lionel Bonhomme discovered gliding at the age of 16. After obtaining a science baccalauréat, he joined French Naval Aviation in 1994. He completed part of his training in the United States and earned the US Navy’s “Golden Wings” in 1998.
This demanding training instilled a culture that has never left him: prepare every mission with precision, clarify roles, communicate concisely, act with discipline and review the results collectively.
From aircraft carriers to overseas operations
Between 1999 and 2013, Lionel Bonhomme flew the Super Étendard Modernisé, the Mirage 2000 as part of an exchange with the French Air Force, and then the Rafale Marine. Operating from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, he took part in French operations in Afghanistan and Libya.
Qualified as a flight leader in 2004 and trained under the Tactical Leadership Programme, he learned to coordinate complex missions involving several crews, a wide range of expertise and sometimes dozens of aircraft. During the operation in Libya, he headed the operations office of a Rafale Marine squadron.
His career includes more than 100 combat missions and nearly 600 carrier landings, including around 150 at night. He is a Knight of the Legion of Honour and a recipient of the Médaille de l’Aéronautique.
A new mission with the French Civil Security service
Lionel Bonhomme left French Naval Aviation in 2013 and joined the French Civil Security service the following year. He became a water-bomber pilot, first as a co-pilot and then as captain, on aircraft such as the Canadair, the Tracker and the Dash 8.
Flying over wildfires, he encountered the same demands as in combat aviation: analyzing a rapidly evolving situation, coordinating teams in the air and on the ground, managing cognitive load and deciding without having all the information.
A speaker focused on action
Lionel Bonhomme brings the “grammar of the cockpit” into the corporate world: preparation, briefing, execution, communication, adaptation and debriefing.
Through immersive stories, mission footage and concrete examples, he shows how to turn a group of experts into a perfectly synchronized team, stay clear-headed under pressure and build a culture in which mistakes become sources of learning.
"From night carrier landings to water drops over the flames: decide quickly, act together and keep a cool head when everything accelerates."
