Prince William flying in the RAF acouple of questions

[sarah_louise]

Of course, the people in charge of Prince William's training described Flying Officer Wales as being talented, showing natural ability, extremely hard working and enthusiastic.He completed his first solo flight yesterday (Wednesday, January 16) after just eight and a half hours flying time.

Is this about normal at a flying school

The aircraft has RAF roundels and a civilian registration. Isnt this a bit odd ?

[4GS]

The link says it all, he's being 'fast tracked'

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/index.cfm?*******=8 8263FE4-1143-EC82-2EFB1337E3967DF4

[kwicky]

As a future head of the armed forces is it necessary to know how to fly a plane?

[4GS]

No it isn't, however he needs to have a working knowledge of all three Armed Forces and how they interact with each other

[dundurn]

Fast tracking as far as the admin is concerned, no doubt, but you can bet your bottom dollar that no one, least of all a serving officer in the RAF, is going to fast track him beyond his abilities when it comes to sending him up in an aircraft. 8 1/2 hours is good progress, 10 - 15 is typical for a PPL. Also depends on how much time he's had in simulators. Even for a PPL these days you can be credited for a certain amount of "flying" time on the ground. If all you want to practise are takeoffs and landings, then a simulator is perfect, you can cut out all the fiddly bits in between. The guy may just be talented - in WWI they preferentially selected cavalry officers for flying training, they reckoned the skill sets might be similar - the way he plays polo, maybe there's something in that theory!

[anotheoldgit]

He was always "Flying his kite" while serving in the Horse Guards, so he should find flying in the RAF a piece of cake .

[kempie]

As to the civilian registration, the aircraft is one of 99 Grob G115Es supplied to (and maintained for) the Armed Services under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract with, and registered to, VT Aerospace Ltd.

VTAe is contracted to deliver up to 50,000 flying training hours in support of elementary flying training to 15 University Air Squadrons in addition to Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS).

[Booldawg]

He was hardly going to be pushing a broom around the big hangar at RAF Cardington was he?

[buildersmate]

Its no bad way to find out how RAF Cardington actually works.

[Zen]

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/w illiam-enjoys-another-spiffing-day-out-2008011 7666/

[anotheoldgit]

The reference to RAF Cardington is interesting, but I am a little confused, isn't he at RAF Cranwell?

It is many, many years since I was stationed at Cardington, does it still exist, and is the ex R101 airship hanger still there?

[sarah_louise]

Yes Cardington is in Bedfordshire not an RAF station now.
Cranwell is in Lincolnshire and as you say Cardington was the R101 site.

[Booldawg]

If he had ears like his dad he wouldve been more use at Menwith Hill :-0