Frank De Winne
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| Cosmonaut | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Born | April 25, 1961 Ghent, Belgium |
| Occupation1 | Test Pilot |
| Rank | Colonel, Belgian Air Force |
| Space time | 10d 20h 53m |
| Selection | 1998 ESA Group |
| Mission(s) | Soyuz TMA-1 |
| Mission insignia |  |
| 1 previous or current | |
Frank De Winne (born April 25, 1961 in Ledeberg, Belgium) is an officer in the Belgian Air Force and Belgium's second man in space (after Dirk Frimout).
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[edit] Personal
De Winne is married and has three children. He enjoys football, small PC applications and gastronomy.
[edit] Education
De Winne graduated in 1979 from the Royal School of Cadets. In 1984 he graduated from the Military Academy with the degree of engineer.
[edit] Military career
Frank De Winne followed the elementary flying school of the Belgian Air Force at Goetsenhoven. After graduating he flew Mirage 5 airplanes for the Air Force until he was attached to SAGEM in Paris to work on the safety of the Mirage. In 1991, De Winne completed the Staff Course at the Defence College in Brussels with the highest distinction. In 1992 De Winne received his degree as test pilot from the Test Pilot School in Boscombe Down, U.K., receiving the McKenna Trophy as well.
From December 1992, De Winne operated as a test pilot for the Belgian Air Force. From January 1994 until April 1995, he was responsible for flight sfety of the 1st Fighter Wing operating from Beauvechain. From April 1995 to July 1996, he was attached as senior test pilot to the European Participating Air Forces at Edwards AFB in California.
On February 12, 1997 De Winne encountered motor problems while flying in an F-16 over densely populated area near Leeuwarden. After the board computer failed, De Winne was faced with the choice of crashing in the Ijsselmeer or of ejecting over densely populated area. However, De Winne was able to land his crippled plane at a Dutch Air Base, a feat which brought him the Joe Bill Dryden Semper Viper Award, the first non-American ever to get this award.
In August 1998 De Winne became commander of the 349 Squadron operating from Kleine Brogel. During the NATO Operation Allied Force in the Balkans, De Winne commanded the Dutch-Belgian Deployable Air Task Force. For his achievement during this operation, the Dutch government awarded him the degree of Officer in the Order of Oranje-Nassau.
Frank De Winne has collected over 2.300 flying hours in Mirage, F-16, Tornado and Jaguar. He currently holds the rank of colonel in the Belgian Air Force. He also serves as the Chairman of the Belgian Armed Forces Flying Personnel Association.
[edit] Astronaut
In October 1998, Frank De Winne was selected as an astronaut for the ESA. He graduated as an astronaut in 2000. In 2001 he was selected for the Yuri A. Gagarin training centre near Moscow.
De Winne's sole spaceflight (30 October - 10 November 2002) has been a trip as a flight engineer to the International Space Station in 2002, travelling to the station aboard Soyuz TMA-1 and back aboard Soyuz TM-34. During his time in space De Winne carried out successfully a programme of 23 experiments in the fields of life and physical sciences and education.
He is now the back-up astronaut of Léopold Eyharts in the future European segment of Expedition 16.
[edit] Honors
- McKenna Trophy
- Joe Bill Dryden Semper Viper Award
- Officer in the Order of Oranje-Nassau
- On December 20, 2002 Frank De Winne was ennobled a viscount as a reward for his space achievements.
- He was awarded the Medal of Friendship from the Russian Federation.
- In 2003 Frank De Winne received an honorary doctorate from the University of Limburg.
