News

News

Prince William begins a four month attachment with the Royal Air Force

7th January 2008

Prince William will begin a four month attachment with the Royal Air Force at RAF Cranwell today.

The Prince will be fulfilling a lifetime's ambition to fly and will be following in the footsteps of his father The Prince of Wales who earned his wings more than 35 years ago.

The training is part of a four-month attachment with the RAF to help William, 25, get to grips with the service's ethos, traditions and military role as he prepares to, one day, head the Armed Forces.

Before travelling to RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire to begin his course, Prince William visited patients and staff evacuated from the Royal Marsden Hospital when a devastating fire ripped through the building's roof last Wednesday.  Click here to read the story.

The young royal became President of the Marsden last year, a post previously held by his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, and worked at the hospital for two days in December 2005.

The prince, an officer with the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals, will begin his flying training later today when he joins a class of around 11 students at RAF Cranwell.

During his placement Prince William will be known as Flying Officer William Wales, equivalent to his Army rank, and wear an RAF uniform.

Group Captain Nick Seward, Commandant of the Central Flying School (CFS) based at RAF Cranwell, said:  "During his time with us, Flying Officer Wales will be realising a personal ambition to learn how to fly and this will be the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the Royal Air Force."

The senior officer, who leads the CFS which trains flying instructors and examiners, added: "Throughout his attachment, whilst also training alongside fellow officers, we are very keen to make sure that Flying Officer Wales will have the opportunity to meet airmen of all ranks to enable him to have as broad as possible idea of the RAF and how it differs from what he has seen in the Army.

"If successful he will be awarded his RAF wings and in anticipation of this, a graduation ceremony is planned for April."

Mr Seward added: "Following his training Flying Officer Wales will be attached to several front line units including support helicopter, search and rescue, air transport and fighter aircraft which the Royal Air Force operates."

Clarence House released images of William in his new RAF uniform to mark the start of his training.

The Prince was shown in his olive-green flying jumpsuit, complete with zips and his name tag "William Wales".

He was wearing a distinctive navy blue forage cap with two brass buttons at the front and an RAF emblem on the side.

Another photo showed the Prince adjusting his flying helmet after taking his seat in a cockpit trainer.

The pictures were taken in November when William spent a week with the RAF ahead of beginning his four-month stint today.