Martin Šonka | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1978-03-26)26 March 1978 (age 47) |
| Education | University of Defence |
| Aviation career | |
| Air force | Czech Air Force |
| Racing career | |
| First race | 2010 |
| Best position | 1st (2018) |
| Aircraft | Zivko Edge 540 V3 |
| Website | martin-sonka.cz |
Martin Šonka (born 26 March 1978 inDvůr Králové nad Labem) is aCzech aerobatics (unlimited) and a former fighter pilot in theCzech Air Force. He has raced inRed Bull Air Race World Championship since 2010,[1] becoming the World Champion in the2018 Red Bull Air Race World Championship season.
Martin Šonka began his aviation career in 1997. In this year he flew a glider for the first time and started his studies atUniversity of Defence in Brno as a pilot. In 1999 he gained hisPrivate Pilot Licence. Between 2001 and 2005 he attended Jan Perner Transport Faculty atUniversity of Pardubice (Department of Transport Management, Marketing and Logistics). He finished his studies with a master's degree in 2005.
His military career started in 2000 inPardubice. Two years after he moved to the air base inNáměšť nad Oslavou and in 2006 to 21st Tactical Air Force Base atČáslav where he began flyingL-159 Alca. In 2012 he has finished the type rating for theSaab JAS 39 Gripen. In 2014 he was forced to leave the army due to his busy racing schedule.
In 2005 he became a member of the Czech national aerobatic team. He used to flySu-31, however in the past few years he is training and competing withExtra 300SR.
In 2009 Šonka passed all Red Bull Air Race qualifying camps and gained The Red Bull Air Race Super Licence. Then he was nominated for a 2010 season rookie.
Red Bull Air Race
 Martin Šonkaat theRed Bull Air Race World Championship | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Points | Wins | Rank |
| 2010 |  13th |  14th |  13th |  12th |  11th |  11th |  CAN |  CAN | 2 | 0 | 14th |
| Series not held between 2011 and 2013 | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 7th |  6th |  6th |  10th |  9th | 7th | 8th |  3rd | 18 | 0 | 8th |
| 2015 | 10th |  10th | 2nd | 3rd | 7th | 4th | 4th | 8th | 29 | 0 | 4th |
| 2016 | DSQ | 9th | 2nd | 13th | 5th | 4th | 7th | CAN | 31 | 0 | 7th |
| 2017 | 1st | 5th | 3rd | 4th |  9th | 1st | 3rd | 4th | 70 | 2 | 2nd |
| 2018 | 4th |  8th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 10th | 1st | 80 | 4 | 1st |
| 2019 | 2nd | 3rd+2 | 4th+3 | 13th+2 | Season shortened | 68 | 0 | 3rd | |||
Legend: * CAN: Cancelled * DNP: Did not take part * DNS: Did not start * DSQ: Disqualified
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
| Current pilots (Master) | |
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| Current pilots (Challenger) |
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| Former pilots | |
| International | |
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| National | |
