Prince William and His Work as a Helicopter Pilot


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Wonderful letter! I am sure this has had a profound impact on William and I think it will be a great experience for him to have in the future of his role. Today must be a sad day for him!
 
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I think it was lovely of William to donate his salary to the EEAA. His letter was very nicely written too - and those were nice photos of him with his old team.
 
This was excellent experience for a future King. He wanted "real life" and he got it, and realized some things about his own capacities in the process, I think.

We forget that Her Majesty was a truck mechanic, for heaven's sake. As a pilot is responsible for the fitness of his equipment, they share a detailed, linear, analytic, rule bounded but creativity challenged work experience in this way. And I think that fertile ground to develop a fair, balanced, inspired way to approach problems in general (AKA judgement under fire).

But the people contact William had in this job is likely something neither his dad nor granny experienced first hand in such a compressed atmosphere. I can't help but believe it will help him when King and leading the country into the unknown and dangerous times he will face.

I dream about crises in my job. William chose a job that leapt from idle to crisis. I have no doubt he dreams about those crises. And is a better man for it.
 
It's already proving so AdmirerUS. I can't remember where I saw it, more than likely YouTube, but it was one of the First Responders to the Grenfell Apt Fire talking about meeting William at one of the Centres. He said something along the lines of how he was so nervous meeting Prince William, but after they started talking, he stopped thinking of him as Prince William & he became William a fellow Member of The First Responders Community. He also said it was refreshing to talk to a VIP who instantly got it & he didn't have to explain certain things to.

Most importantly though, he said William asked every single First Responder there if they had talked to any Counsellors yet & was making sure they had the information needed to reach someone to talk to. As he said, William gets it, as William said himself in that wonderful letter he wrote.

I think these years are going to be very important to him in the Future, as he's learned skills that will stand him in excellent stead & First Responders also have a valuable Ally now as well.
 
Prince William flew a woman critically injured in a collision involving a police van to hospital during his final shift as an air ambulance pilot.

William's East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) crew took the woman to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge following the crash in Hethel, eight miles south-west of Norwich, on Thursday evening.

She had been left seriously injured after being struck by a marked police van responding to a 999 call. Nobody else was hurt in the collision.
Read more: William flies critically injured woman to hospital on final air ambulance shift - ITV News
 
Lovely open letter from William honouring not only his own team but all of those who will continue to carry on, on a daily basis. I've no doubt he has seen more than he will admit to.

How poignant that his final call-out was the victim of a road accident, a woman in her fifties.
 
What a heartfelt letter William wrote for his last shift at EAAA. I think it lays to rest the notion that anyone could have had that William's years of service to air ambulance was a passing fancy or a fun job flying helicopters. Being part of a trauma squad where minutes can mean the difference between life and death is perhaps one of the most stressful jobs physically and emotionally a person can take on. It takes a whole lot of dedication and determination and discipline to be able to work seamlessly with a crew to assure that the best in medical care is made available and often times, split second decisions can mean the difference between life and death.

Those years will be experiences that William will never forget and I think we can be pretty assured that the emergency care organizations of the UK and the support systems needed for its workers will always have a priority for William as he knows from first hand experience how important it is to have everything that they need made available to them.
 
I can't even imagine. Motor vehicle accidents can be gruesome. Compound fractures, loss of limbs. I take my hat off to William. It's not a job I'd be able to do.

The Duke of Cambridge has described how "there are things that cannot be unseen" as he carries out his final shift as an air ambulance pilot.

Paying a personal tribute to the nation's emergency services, Prince William spoke of his "profound respect" for its men and women who deal with experiences "on a daily basis that they will carry with them for life".

The Duke joined the East Anglian Air Ambulance service in March 2015, after serving for nearly five years as a helicopter pilot with the RAF's Search and Rescue Force, and began piloting his first operational missions in July that year.
Read moreover: Prince William tells of 'things that cannot be unseen' ahead of final air ambulance shift
 
Inside the air ambulance unit on William's last day


 
What a stressful job. I can't imagine how William was able to do this for two years.

A woman who was flown to hospital by the Duke of Cambridge after being hit by a marked police van has died.

She suffered head injuries when she was run over in Hethel, near Wymondham in Norfolk, on Thursday night, as police responded to a 999 call that had been made over fears for her welfare.

Prince William flew her to Cambridge's Addenbrooke's Hospital on his final East Anglian Air Ambulance shift.
Read more: Prince William's air ambulance patient dies
 
I really applaud this young man for the way he has taken control of his life and done so many wonderful things to help others. He could of done nothing except very little with his life and just be a playboy prince of the rich and famous, yet he made huge decisions to really make his life worthwhile and mean something to his country, the royal family and himself.

I feel sad that he has to give up something that means so much to him in a personal way.....he was a part of something that really helped save the lives of other people and that can not be said as a bad thing.....I find Prince William a remarkable young man who with all these life's experiences of helping save lives will be something he will take with him in the future and they will help guide him in his future decisions. Someday he will be a remarkable king and will guide his son the same.
 
I think it was planned, and most people certainly assumed, that when William left the RAF he would be taking his place in the Firm. However, after a time of complete silence, it was announced he would be taking a position with EAAA and extraordinary accommodations were made to enable him to play pilot.

That may sound harsh and I know that piloting helicopters in SAR work is one of the most skilled peace time military flying jobs. However, while I admired his reluctance to give up the job he loved I was shocked to find out just how little time he actually worked. To say his job was part-time is an understatement and yet it was the "excuse" why William couldn't do this, that or the other.

BP publicly endorsed his choice, what else could they do, tell the truth? No, they had to be seen to have been on board with his plans from when the MOD first announced they were going to outsource SAR operations. But that "job" enabled him to live the life of a landed gentleman and spend time on long holidays in the sun or at home with Catherine and the children, and this from a Prince who wants to be seen as "ordinary".

I hope his leaving enables them to employ another pilot, after all, there were a lot of skilled SAR pilots made redundant by the MOD and they will be the real deal, ordinary.
 
IMO William couldn't be full time royal then Charles would have been against it. Good timing now with Phillip starting retirement
 
I think it was planned, and most people certainly assumed, that when William left the RAF he would be taking his place in the Firm. However, after a time of complete silence, it was announced he would be taking a position with EAAA and extraordinary accommodations were made to enable him to play pilot.

That may sound harsh and I know that piloting helicopters in SAR work is one of the most skilled peace time military flying jobs. However, while I admired his reluctance to give up the job he loved I was shocked to find out just how little time he actually worked. To say his job was part-time is an understatement and yet it was the "excuse" why William couldn't do this, that or the other.

BP publicly endorsed his choice, what else could they do, tell the truth? No, they had to be seen to have been on board with his plans from when the MOD first announced they were going to outsource SAR operations. But that "job" enabled him to live the life of a landed gentleman and spend time on long holidays in the sun or at home with Catherine and the children, and this from a Prince who wants to be seen as "ordinary".

I hope his leaving enables them to employ another pilot, after all, there were a lot of skilled SAR pilots made redundant by the MOD and they will be the real deal, ordinary.

IMO William couldn't be full time royal then Charles would have been against it. Good timing now with Phillip starting retirement

I think Rob has made an important point here. A monarchial system needs to have "headroom" for big hitters, and I suspect there was little room for William earlier. Given his relative youth and good looks, it was easy for him and Catherine to easily overshadow C&C in the press and the public eyes. Now with Philip retired, there is potentially a lot more room for William and CAtherine.

All that said, I do think William and cAtherine will have to (and be seen to!) step up to the plate enthusiastically over the next 12-24 months. There are no hiding places now. This is despite the issues they may face as they try and settle both their kids into schools at the same time.
 
Actually never thought of it in those terms, but it does make strategic sense, Charles has to step up before William can step in, so to speak.

It has been convienent however, for the Cambridges. But as said, no hiding places now. I don't know that settling the children into school should take up much of their time. They do employ full time child care after all.
 
I don't know that settling the children into school should take up much of their time. They do employ full time child care after all.

Full time child care does not replace parenting. When a child is being settled into school, they need to have parents around, Nanny or no Nanny. Even trickier when there are two very young children being settled into school at the same time
 
I love stories like this :D William is going to be a brilliant king when his time comes.

A woman said she had fulfilled "every girl's dream" when she was rescued by Prince William after collapsing at home and injuring her back.

Lynda Robinson, 55, spent 12 hours lying on the floor until she was able to crawl along the floor to call for help.

But she was in for a right royal surprise when the Duke of Cambridge flew to save her - landing his East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter outside her home.

Former care worker Lynda said: "It's every girl's dream to be rescued by a prince. I still can't believe I had a future king on my very doorstep.
Read more: A right royal surprise: Woman in fall at home rescued by Prince William - Cambridge News
 
Full time child care does not replace parenting. When a child is being settled into school, they need to have parents around, Nanny or no Nanny. Even trickier when there are two very young children being settled into school at the same time

how do most people manage to send their kids to school?
 
how do most people manage to send their kids to school?

Most people manage, just a William & Kate will. I was only pointing out that it will be an issue, but something they will have to cope with!
 
As a mother who had three small preschoolers at home at one time, I remember well longing for the day when they'd all be in school all day. That day came finally and the house seemed so empty that I took on a Girl Scout troop to fill my time. :lol:

Its a milestone moment for both parents and the kids themselves. The kids have another daily world they're exploring and the parents become a part of that world with homework, school activities and the need for a lot of magnets for the refrigerator. Its a total change of pace but a very adaptable change.

Will and Kate will be just fine. :D
 
I think it was planned, and most people certainly assumed, that when William left the RAF he would be taking his place in the Firm. However, after a time of complete silence, it was announced he would be taking a position with EAAA and extraordinary accommodations were made to enable him to play pilot.

That may sound harsh and I know that piloting helicopters in SAR work is one of the most skilled peace time military flying jobs. However, while I admired his reluctance to give up the job he loved I was shocked to find out just how little time he actually worked. To say his job was part-time is an understatement and yet it was the "excuse" why William couldn't do this, that or the other.

BP publicly endorsed his choice, what else could they do, tell the truth? No, they had to be seen to have been on board with his plans from when the MOD first announced they were going to outsource SAR operations. But that "job" enabled him to live the life of a landed gentleman and spend time on long holidays in the sun or at home with Catherine and the children, and this from a Prince who wants to be seen as "ordinary".

I hope his leaving enables them to employ another pilot, after all, there were a lot of skilled SAR pilots made redundant by the MOD and they will be the real deal, ordinary.

I believe that when William left the SAR the royal family didn't actually have room for him to be "a full time royal." But they weren't sure that they weren't going to need him so he was on standby, so to speak. Remember, that year the Duke of Kent had a stroke, Princess Alexandra was ill and the Duke of Edinburgh fell ill, had "exploratory" surgery and vanished to recover.
I don't think anyone knew that all of them would fully recover and resume their duties again. William and Catherine would have been needed if the three of them had not recovered. Once the three did recover, William found something to do while he waited to be "called up"--his job with the EAAA.
I don't believe this is a job that someone chooses if they are a dilletante as you imply. I think William had a passion for it but negotiated the terms of his contract to be available for royal duties as needed. (BTW-when was the last time William had a "long holiday in the sun." Short vacations of a few days is no different than most folks taking a long weekend.) William, on the job as a EAAA pilot was the "real deal." To suggest otherwise is absurd.
I think William and Catherine have always known that their destiny was to step up as William's grandparents either stepped down (as Philip is doing) or stepped back (as the Queen is beginning to do.) I think things are going exactly as planned.
 
:previous:

I think that you are right. However, it just foes not fit the narrative that certain chat rooms push.
 
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More on Prince William's last helicopter pilot shift:
https://www.royal.uk/duke-cambridge-completes-his-last-shift-air-ambulance-helicopter-pilot

IMO, there's nothing wrong with how William and Catherine are feeling their way into their royal duties, while at the same time making nurturing and spending valuable time with their growing children a priority.

Here's an old interview with William addressing the needless criticism

Section re 'work-shy' questions and William's responses starts at about 2:47

"Royal duties are extremely important. It's part of the fabric of what the royal family and any future monarch has, ... but it's about finding your own way at the right time. If you're not careful, duty can sort of weigh you down an awful lot at an early age. I think you've got to develop into the duty role. It's something that I take very seriously, but with my family and with my air ambulance role for instance... I've got my fingers in many pies at the moment that I want to keep my eye on. That will change as time goes on, and I will take on more [royal duties] ...

To be honest, I'm going to get plenty of criticism over my lifetime, and it's something that I don't completely ignore, but it's not something I take completely to heart. I'm concentrating very much on my role as a father. I'm a new father and I take my duties and my responsibilities to my family very seriously. I want to bring my children up as good people, with you know the idea of service and duty to others [which] is very important. But if I can't give my time to my children as well, then I worry about their future. Plus, serving the community with the air ambulance... working alongside medical professionals... I find the air ambulance role very important to me... And then there's my royal responsibilities which I still keep going. When the Queen decides that she's going to hand down more responsibilities, I'll be the first person to accept them...

My grandmother and my father are 150% supportive behind everything I'm doing, and Harry and Catherine... There's the time now and the space to explore other means of doing a worthwhile job. For me, the air ambulance is an incredible, important part. It's not going to last forever, but I think it's important... There's the flexibility right now whilst I'm still relatively young and they're [the Queen & Prince Charles] still relatively active..."


About raising Prince George to realize who he will become:
"... There will be a time and a place to [help] George understand how he fits into the world. Right now it's just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him, and showing him as much love as I can as a father."


The above link is the full interview with no commentary. It's a version where the audio was repaired so the visual does not show up here with the link, but you can click on the link for the full video interview.

Below is a news report commenting on the same interview, with a brief excerpt & then editorial commentary:
 
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:previous: That's one of the interviews William gave on the occasion of Her Majesty's 90th birthday last year. The interviewer is BBC's Royal Correspondent Nicholas Witchell.

The Duke also gave a interview to Sky News Royal Correspondent Rhiannon Mills for the documentary 'The Queen at 90' where he also spoke about the stupid work-shy thing, which was made up by the press.
 
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:previous:
Thank you for the link to the video. I get very tried of the way people seems to be criticizing William for not doing this or not doing that or not doing anything at all. As someone once told me, if you don't like what someone else is doing, then put yourself in their shoes and see how you would do it or not do it or how you would feel. I could not do his job in a million lifetimes nor be a royal for that matter. So I applaud him for what he does, be it as a pilot part time or royal part time or full time for both, he is not a person who is dodging his responsibilities as a father or a member of the firm. He is learning on the job from his grandmother, grandfather and father with their blessings, so who are we to complain about what he does or doesn't do? After all it is his life to live as we have our own life to live.

So William, go and take a very nice very long vacation hidden somewhere so that nobody can find you for that will surely drive lots of people right up a tree.
 
:previous: That's one of the interviews William gave on the occasion of Her Majesty's 90th birthday last year. The interviewer is BBC's Royal Correspondent Nicholas Witchell.

The Duke also gave a interview to Sky News Royal Correspondent Rhiannon Mills for the documentary 'The Queen at 90' where he also spoke about the stupid work-shy thing, which was made up by the press.

Yes thanks. Here's the Rhiannon Mills interview with Prince William:
"[The Queen] is always on hand for advice and support. It's as much about us doing it our way, as it is about getting it right. And she's the first person to support that... She likes the idea that we have our own style. It's a new generation... There's no point in everyone doing it the same way. The evolution and modernization of the royal family and how [everyone] does [their job] is actually more interesting, and keeps it relevant...

[The Queen] is very supportive of everything I'm doing at the moment. She understands that I'm a family man and I want to be around for my children as much as I can... The Queen's very much at the helm of three generations of a very active royal family... There's a time and a place for [me] taking on more and more responsibilites, and ... I will look forward to doing that. But at the moment I'm very much concentrating on my family and serving the air ambulance with some of the very best doctors in the country..."
 
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Just a reminder of how dangerous search and rescue work is.

Prince William has paid a special tribute to the four Irish Coast Guard air crew who died when Rescue 116 crashed off north Mayo last March.

The prince, who is a trained search and rescue pilot, said the loss is “a tragedy that reaches far beyond the community” in which the four “so gallantly served”, and they “will never be forgotten”.

His tribute has been written for a memorial concert for the four crew – Capt Dara Fitzpatrick, Capt Mark Duffy and winch team Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith – which is being held in Cootehill, Co Cavan on Friday.

The prince’s tribute, which has been translated into Irish by the concert organisers, says that “the selfless actions of those who put their lives on the line, for the safety of others, will always draw admiration from an incredibly wide audience”.

“Consequently Ciarán, Dara, Mark and Paul will be mourned far beyond these shores and the lives they led will be an inspiration to many,” he said.

“I am proud to have served as a search and rescue pilot myself and I know how many of the sorties, even though they could be perceived as routine, always have an element of hidden danger,”he added.
Read more: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ire...l-tribute-to-the-four-crew-1.3194999?mode=amp
 
Crash survivor says Prince William saved his life | Daily Mail Online

At the end of his two year's of service, the prince said the A10 accident was one among the most 'daunting' incidents he experienced.
'Another rescue that sticks in my mind was to a young man who was involved in a road accident,' he said in a letter to colleagues.His uncle in the car with him sadly didn't survive, and I was sure that from what we were faced with he wouldn't either - but thanks to the skills of our medical team he is alive today.'We were first on scene and in such circumstances we all had to pitch in to fight to save the young man's life. It is days like this, when you know you have made a difference, that give you the determination to keep going.'
 
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