Prince William to train as a Search and Rescue pilot from January 2009

[Skydragon]

Prince William is to train to become a full-time pilot with the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue Force.

The young royal, who learned to fly earlier this year with the RAF, said he wanted to "serve operationally" and joining the unit will allow him to fulfil this ambition.

Prince to become search and rescue pilot - Yahoo! News UK

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Pri...cue%2BPilot%2B

Prince William is to train to become a full-time pilot with the Royal Air Force’s Search and Rescue Force (SARF). The Prince, who learned to fly earlier this year with the Royal Air Force (RAF), will build on the training he has already received to become an operational Sea King pilot.

http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/medi...291894627.html

[Ella Kay]

Wow, that certainly changes the game! I guess the papers reporting on that "king apprenticeship" were way off base...

But surely this is better than continuing to hop from armed service to armed service. He'll have a real career for a time this way.

[Conny]

That´s very good for the young men. A real work.

[Parrothead]

That's very interesting and great news to hear. It sounds like he was very inspired by his experiences of late. I'm glad that he's going to focus on something for a while instead of going from branch to branch or city job observation to city job observation. However, I do think it is important that he try to fit some government work/observation into the mix for his future role.

[karla64]

Lots of news..

Yahoo! News Search Results for prince william

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

Prince William is to train to become a full-time pilot with the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue Force.

I think this is a good decision. His father is still very energetic and able to handle the limelight, so William can't now not be used to steal the attention from him and Camilla by the media, it will give him and Catherine more space to conduct their relationship and he will learn very important lessons as an SAR-pilot, being able to watch human suffering first hand and using his youthful strength and abilities to help others actively instead of being just a paper head for a charity.

My own son at age 15 just joined the Maltese-order's SAR-team as a junior rescue helper after having been trained during the summer holidays for that. We've long thought about if we should encourage him (he is already a junior firefighter and a water rescue-officer in training with his first exams passed successfully) to help actively as this will expose him to all kind of human tragedies but we received good advice and decided that it is okay. So I think I've gotten some insight into the work of the different SAR-forces and believe that this will help strengthen William's character and resolve just like actively commanding a ship helped shape his father's positive character traits.

Good choice, William!

[Little_star]

I think this sounds like a good idea.The 6 month stints he was currently undertaking seemed a bit silly to me in that they wouldn't offer in-depth knowledge.

[Avicenna]

Flying is definitly a school of character - or at least it was for me. But one should always remember the old saying: there are old pilots and there are bold pilots - there are no old bold pilots ... let's hope William will be an old one

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

So I think I've gotten some insight into the work of the different SAR-forces and believe that this will help strengthen William's character and resolve just like actively commanding a ship helped shape his father's positive character traits.

Good choice, William!

One of my friends was involved in SAR with the RAF and he still maintains that among other things it teaches you patience. Although he says he will always feel slightly guilty for the excitement when they were called upon to go out!

[kpusa1981]

What things he supposed to de doing until January with the SAS SBS SRR and Army Air Corps as well as at Whitehall? Does this change any of that?
It seems to be a good choice for him since he enjoys flying and even he isn't pilot with RAF Serch and Rescue he will helping save people fron dangerous situations.

[ghost_night554]

Good for William! Is he still going to be taking on his full royal duties within the next year or has that been pushed back now?

[Isana]

I doubt he could do both full time royal duties and the helicopter training. The CH release said he'll continue his charity work and take on engagements but I doubt it'll be much more than what he's currently doing.
The whole arrangement looks like a win-win situation to me. William gets to do something he loves (flying) and can stay away from his public role he seems to dread a little longer and his dad remains the second most important royal for now and won't be overshadowed by his eldest son in his duties.

[ghost_night554]

That's good, as long as Wills is happy then that's fine, I'm sure when the time is right he'll do go on with his full time duties.

[amandamrgt]

I have to say, this looks like a wise decision (apart from the personal bit concerning Catherine). William will have the chance to aquire some in-depth knowledge, not just 6 months speedy course. Hopefully, he will not do anything that will be unusual for any 'ordinary' Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue Force pilot, like getting extra-leaves. Because if he does, the press will have a field day with stories of special treatment.

[Iluvbertie]

It looks to me as if the secondments to other sectors of the military were chances for him to find something he would enjoy doing so that he could actually serve full-time, like his father did (and his uncle and brother etc), but without the obvious extra risk posed to himself and the troops from being in a true war zone.

This does seem a win-win for William and for Charles as William will be out of the public eye for longer and thus Charles and Camilla will have the chance to further consolidate their popularity as a couple in the expectation that at sometime in the next decade or so Charles will become King (yes I know the Queen could live for longer than another 10 years and I am not suggesting that she would abdicate or anything like that - I know she won't).

[MBGGfvB]

I think it's wonderful that Prince William has selected Search and Rescue in the RAF as a significant pursuit. As a retired member of the USAFR Medical Services, I can only say that as such, I am sure he will be assisting others in critical need and will greatly challenge his military piloting skills. Search and Rescue is not a trivial.

[georgiea]

Where will he be stationed to do this job for the next five years? Can you be married and living together? I am just wondering if Catherine will have to wait another five years?

[Mermaid1962]

Oh yes, there'd be quarters for married personnel wherever he's stationed.

Originally Posted by georgiea

Where will he be stationed to do this job for the next five years? Can you be married and living together? I am just wondering if Catherine will have to wait another five years?

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

It looks to me as if the secondments to other sectors of the military were chances for him to find something he would enjoy doing so that he could actually serve full-time, like his father did (and his uncle and brother etc), but without the obvious extra risk posed to himself and the troops from being in a true war zone.

Harry always had his eye set on the Army, always. William had no real "calling" and I think he took on Sandhurst as a character-building exercise. It would do him no harm, but could do him an awful lot of good.

The six month stints in each of the services have enabled him to "try before he buys" so to speak and I think that CH, the Queen and DofE all wanted to avoid an "Edward" situation. Not that Edward did anything wrong, he just wasn't cut out for a career in the military and had the guts to say so. But the overall fallout was largely negative and I think they were all hoping for exactly this. Something that William could see himself doing as a career choice.

I am guessing that TPTB in the RAF must have signed off on this and indicated that he was suitable canditdate for that role. However, helecopter rescue crews are a breed apart, they must all work together to gain maximum effect, I can't really think of a better training ground for a (very distant) future King.

So yes, I think this is the ultimate win win situation. The Queen and the Prince of Wales get to keep on keeping on and William gets to live a semi-private life doing something he loves, which, I wouldn't mind betting, is more than he ever thought he could.

[muriel]

I think a permanent role, or as permanent as can be expected in these circumstances is a great result. Assuming he starts in Jan 2009, has an 18 month taining programme, and the spends about 3 years in the role should take him through till 2013, by which time he will be about 31.

Being in a full time role in the RAF will allow him a degree of privacy to conduct his private life in the way that he wants to, without constantly being in the media spotlight. If and when he is ready, he can marry and perhaps even start a family. Similarly (and I think this point should not be under estimated), in the interim, brand Camilla can be further strengthened. Public opinion has warmed towards Camilla in the last 3.5 years, and hopefully will continue to improve with time, as people get to know her better and see some of the work that she is doing, in preperation for her to be queen.

The key quesion now is that if Kate is to be the chosen one, how she is seen to be gainfully employed in the time from now to when they are married. I just hope Clarence House has a plan worked out for this as well!