One of five candidates from the Netherlands in the 1992 ESA selection (only André Kuipers was selected as an astronaut); Fighter pilot education in Canada, 1973; Bachelor of Medicine, University of Utrecht, 1978; Experimental test pilot, Edwards AFB California, 1984; Operational representative of the Royal Dutch Navy in the USA, 1992; languages: English, French, German; Hobbies: oldtimer motorbikes, sports, history and reading.