Prince William's Service in the Royal Air Force


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Thanks Jo of Palatine. You're absoltuely right. German SAR pilots do fly in a quasi-civilian capacity providing their expertise to both the civilian and military medical needs. I believe most of the crew composition consists of military pilots with civilian (or in some cases military) medically trained personnel that provides the medical expertise needed for such missions when flying in the BRD. I spent some time with them while working in a NATO capacity. Good mix of skills and experiences. There is much mutual respect in this small field.

I hope Prince William's training will prepare him to provide such a valuable service to his countrymen (and women!) while honing his skills for a more dangerous environment; if that is what providence has in mind for him.

In my experience, SAR pilots are the some of the most brave. Who else would eagerly fly into a hostile area (if war zone) to rescue comrades in need of assistance, while flying an aircraft that isn't armed (geneva conventions regarding medical transport...). Takes guts, skill, a keen desire to care for one's comrades and some luck.

My hat's off to this Royal family member!
 
In my experience, SAR pilots are the some of the most brave. Who else would eagerly fly into a hostile area (if war zone) to rescue comrades in need of assistance, while flying an aircraft that isn't armed (geneva conventions regarding medical transport...). Takes guts, skill, a keen desire to care for one's comrades and some luck.
Search & Rescue was primarily designed to find downed pilots :flowers:but here in the UK that is rare, here they search for and if possible remove people from mountainsides, hills, the sea and boats, flooding and of course many awkward/dangerous situations. They also search for bodies.

Many places also have air ambulances, with trained personel on board and of course the Coastguard (they tend to use the Sikorsky). William will receive basic lifesaving training and first aid, but not medical training. The main coordination centre is at Kinloss in Scotland. :flowers:
 
:previous: The RNZAF is much the same. Search and rescue seems to provide endless challenges as air-lifting people from boats in rough seas or braving the rigours of mountain flying (rescues) which demands calm heads and nerves of steel.

William will have his work cut out for him just to "measure up". It takes a certain kind of mind-set, like SAS or submariners. :ohmy:

You'll have to excuse me for waxing lyrical but it is my personal opinion that Helicopter SAR operations demand the highest degree of skill and dedication, moreso than fighter or bomber pilots. These crews are called on to push the envelope on any given day, 365 days a year in war and in peace. In lieu of war everyone else just gets to exercise (practice). :angel:
 
Sounds more like training for a search and destroy mission than a search and rescue one.


It does, but I think maybe he'll be allowed to do some 'mock war training' with the Apache.

I think his decision to join the RAF is a good one, if I should say so myself as I am prior Air Force. It also seems the dailies are saying he is shelving his plans (possible) of marrying Kate. But, after a two week vacation in the Caribbean, I'm sure his decision was discussed with the entire Middleton family and especially Kate. And, I don't see any real reason why he can't marry while doing his service in the Search & Rescue.
 
I certainly agree! Military training and routine is not mutually exclusive to family life (I was also in the Air Force...working closely with my NATO and coalition bretheren). One could ague that the military may offer HRH the opportunity to do something extraordinary while concurrently learning those attributes one expects from a leader; particularly out of the media limelight. Cheers!:cheers:
 
Well glad he made it hope he does well
 

In order to create a "loophole" there must be a reason behind this. In this case it was probably the fact that already serving officers, especially those who passed Sandhurst sucessfully, are generally wanted by the RAF. The reports about their professional performances give the choosing officers a much better insight intotheirnew recruit thanthe testresults of other applicants from outsidethe army. Thus I believe the question of good eyesight which is of course an important point on choosing newcomers is not as important when it comes to choosing an already serving officer. There selection can be based on other aspects as long as the applicant has a good enough vision on wearing spectacles as proven by a medical examination.

Of course one can discuss that in case of an emergency spectacles might become a problem but the pilot normally is not involved in fights man to man in war and in other situations there surely is a way to modify the spectacle-design to omit practical problems.

Yes, of course William surely has been privileged insofar as the RAF obviously wants him as one of theirs but don't have most people something that helps them on getting chosen? Something that makes them out to be the better choice to another? Applicants from more privileged backgrounds have gotten a better education normally and are thus able to offer more than others. That's how it is and IMHO there is nothing bad in it, it's just sad that equal opportunity is more of a dream than a possible reality.
 
I believe that those unfashionable glasses are what we used to call "aviator frames.
Here they are 'normaly' used by non flyers, i.e. workshops. I'm surprised the Mail didn't go in for an attack, coming out with an incorrect - "Applicants must, however, have perfect 20/20 vision when wearing glasses", :nonono: whereas the Sun confirms he used a loophole
"The RAF admitted Wills used the loophole to join up, but insisted no rules had been broken"
:whistling:
 
In this case it was probably the fact that already serving officers, especially those who passed Sandhurst sucessfully, are generally wanted by the RAF.
Sorry Jo, I think this was a simple case of favouritism for a senior member of the RF. There are very few Army or Naval Officers who remuster to the RAF, both of whom consider (on the whole) the Airforce to be too 'young' to be their equal. :D
Yes, of course William surely has been privileged insofar as the RAF obviously wants him as one of theirs but don't have most people something that helps them on getting chosen?
Again I disagree, The MOD has decided to allow the transfer, whether anyone but the very Top Brass wanted him is questionable.
 
Is William FLT/LT or still a Flying Officer? If he is FLT/LT does effect his Army rank at all or he still Lt in the Army and Capt.?
 
I watched The Perfect Storm a couple of weeks ago. That certainly gave me some new insight into what SAR pilots go through.

These crews are called on to push the envelope on any given day, 365 days a year in war and in peace. In lieu of war everyone else just gets to exercise (practice). :angel:
 
Another waste of time. This boy seems to want to do anything that avoids actually training to be Prince of Wales. He's done his time in each service which fills the need to be connected to the Army, Navy and Air Force but now it's time to actually get out amongst the people and do day-to-day Royal duties like his father and step-mother do.
 
Another waste of time. This boy seems to want to do anything that avoids actually training to be Prince of Wales. He's done his time in each service which fills the need to be connected to the Army, Navy and Air Force but now it's time to actually get out amongst the people and do day-to-day Royal duties like his father and step-mother do.

What training is there to be Prince of Wales?

From my reading there is none as each Prince of Wales makes of the position whatever they want.

William needs to do some growing up, and like his father, wants to actually spend some time serving in the military. His father did that for about 5 years and took command of a ship etc. He also did have short experiences with the other services. This SAR is William's equivalent of Charles' navy service. The age difference is due to the two gap years William has had between leaving school and finishing uni and I think his uni course was a year longer than his father's. This means that he will be about 3 years older than Charles when starting on full time royal duties but as he isn't the heir to the throne that is fine in my book. When he does become the heir to the throne he will then have to take over his father's duties so his father can take over the Queen's.

The longer William stays away from full time royal duties the more chance that he will grow up and also the more chance that the people will come to appreciate Camilla. Once William starts full time royal duties than Charles and Camilla will be overshone by Diana's boy (many people seem to forget that he is also Charles' boy and associate him with Diana only).

Let him do something worthwhile and have a sense of pride about what he has achieved.
 
Once William starts full time royal duties than Charles and Camilla will be overshone by Diana's boy (many people seem to forget that he is also Charles' boy and associate him with Diana only).
I don't know that it would actually be a problem because William has only "dipped his big toe" in the Royal Duty pond. Put him out there working full time for the 'Firm' and at this stage of the game, I believe I would flounder . . . . badly!

Iluvbertie said:
Let him do something worthwhile and have a sense of pride about what he has achieved.
William needs to get a sense of who he is and I don't think he has done that yet. He is not comfortable in his own skin and it shows in the odd unplanned 'meet-and-greet' encounters. He is too serious and needs to 'lighten up" a bit.
 
I don't know that it would actually be a problem because William has only "dipped his big toe" in the Royal Duty pond. Put him out there working full time for the 'Firm' and at this stage of the game, I believe I would flounder . . . . badly!

But he has been brought up to do it as shown with the number of times that he has been exposed to meet and greet with the family throughout his life e.g. Christmas church services. He has been doing it, part-time all his life, so it won't be as if he is thrown in with no experience or idea.


William needs to get a sense of who he is and I don't think he has done that yet. He is not comfortable in his own skin and it shows in the odd unplanned 'meet-and-greet' encounters. He is too serious and needs to 'lighten up" a bit.

Which is why I made the comment that he needs to get some pride in his achievements before taking on full time royal duties.
 
But he has been brought up to do it as shown with the number of times that he has been exposed to meet and greet with the family throughout his life e.g. Christmas church services. He has been doing it, part-time all his life, so it won't be as if he is thrown in with no experience or idea.
Beatrice and Eugenie do the meet-and-greets with more ease than William. They are quite the "well oiled machine" backing up the Queen, taking care of the flowers and even bringing children forward to give their flowers in person.

There is a big difference between a meet-and-greet on the way to or from church and doing 2 or 3 different 'jobs' in one day with no one else to share the load.

He would be expected to have "done his homework" on every orgainisation and society that he visits. Smiling, nodding and shaking hands is not going to cut it. If he were on the civil list he would be "critiqued" on every every aspect of every occassion.

I think it is unfair that people compare him to his father at the same age. It is an unequal comparison as Prince Charles has been 'The Heir' since before he was able to understand what an heir was. William is only second in line and you can't "practise" being the heir. You either are or you are not.

William needs to do some growing up, and like his father, wants to actually spend some time serving in the military. His father did that for about 5 years and took command of a ship etc. He also did have short experiences with the other services. This SAR is William's equivalent of Charles' navy service.
That being the case, I am with you on this one. He needs the time and space to be and grow because this isn't the 1970's and their is an awful lot going on in the world.
 
I think a number of very interesting points have been made in the last few posts:

1) Should Will have taken up the SAR role?

I do believe it was important for Wills to do this SAR (or other) role in the armed forces. If he had left at the end of 2008, he would have been criticised for not spending enough time in any of the forces, and demonstrating his commitment to the men he might one day command. Some murmurs to this effect had already started in the summer of 2008, prior to the announcement of his proposed attachment

2) Is he lacking direction..... and how does he shape up in comparison with his father at his age?

Charles is recognised as a sensitive and thinking man. This is an image that has been nurtured and reinforced over time, and with some of the causes he has supported over time - it did not just happen at age 18. Further, Charles' own thinking has developed with time and I have no doubt so will Wills' to provide the focus and direction that he will need in his public life till he is King. I do think it is important for Wills to have some cleardoirection when he enters full time royal duties, otherwis ehe will be criticised.

3) What will his entering royal duties mean for C&C?

I don't think Will will actually take the spotlight away from C&C. That said, I think a few more years will help further establish brand Camilla in the minds of the people
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think it is unfair that people compare him to his father at the same age. It is an unequal comparison as Prince Charles has been 'The Heir' since before he was able to understand what an heir was.
It is, IMO, unfair to compare the two, for the simple reasons that they are two different personalities, from two different backgrounds and two different generations!

Whilst children may have some of their parents traits, nobody would want a carbon copy, would they?:D

My complaint is that knowing he would not be allowed to be involved in any combat theatre, why he wasn't steered away from the Army in the first place. I find it hard to believe the plan all along was to use the 'loophole' to get him in to the RAF as a pilot but......:flowers:
 
Can someone tell me how Prince William can be a pilot when he wears glasses sometimes?;)
 
Can someone tell me how Prince William can be a pilot when he wears glasses sometimes?;)
He apparently used a loophole that as a serving officer in the Blues & Royals, (who have a less stringent requirement for the wearing of spectacles), he was able to transfer to the RAF as a pilot.

I do not think this loophole has been accepted in the past but it is only my opinion.:flowers:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom