Born at Etterbeek (Brussels), 04 April 1921. On 4 September 1939 he took a voluntary engagement for 2 years to the Aéronautique Militaire Belge and was admited to 82 Promotion at  the Pilot School of Wevelghem. 13 May 1940 saw his unit leaving for France. Via Marseille the Pilot School passes into  French Morocco at the Airfiel of Oujda. He evaded to Great Britain where he arrived on 5 August 1940 and enroled into the Belgian Forces in G.B. Send to RAF Depot - St.Athans (13 Aug 40) he was transferred to EFTS at Odiham (02 Nov 40) where he started initial training. On 15 February 1941 he joines the SFTS at Ternhill followed by the OTU at Grangemouth (02 Jun 41). F/S Hoornaert, frechly graduated received a posting to 234 Sqn where he arrived on 17 July 1941. Further postings saw him m joining N°2 Delivery Flight (10 Sep 41), 66 Sqn (06 Apr 42), 60 Sqn (15 Jun 42) where he promoted to P/O, 91 Sqn (25 Jan 43). Rested and frechly promoted F/O, Hoornaert joined as test pilot the Aeroplane Armement Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down (10 Sep 43). Send to 349 Sqn (20 Mar 44), he left for RAF Belgian Depot (24 Mar 44) and finally arrived at 350 Sqn on 22 June 1944, becoming Flight Commander. Shot down on 04 April 1945, he crashed near Lingen and made POW. Repatriated on 12 May 1945, he was send to 106 Personnel Receiving Center - Cosford. Next day saw him joining 30 Belgian Rest and Leave Centre Camp at Goring. Posted to Headquarters Transport Command (19 Sep 45) he was discharged from RAF on 18 April 1946. He joined SABENA and finished his carreer with SOBELAIR. During his last flight with Sobelair, he made a succesful crashlanding at Sant Cruz Airfield - Tenerife with a B-707-329 (c/n17627 OO-SJE) where the nosewheel collapsed while landing and the plane being destroyed by fire. Fortunatly there were no victims. Roger Hoornaert died at L'Escala (Spain), 28 September 1997.

(source: Guy De Win)