William "Call me Captain"

[Sven Sixtoo]

BBC News - Prince William to command search and rescue missions (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18354699)

Well done.
That's taken about 18 months including the mandatory co-pilot trip down the Falkands, about as fast as it can realistically be for an ab initio SAR pilot to get to the job that unquestionably has the most operational freedom in the RAF.

I served with and under command of Sparky Dunlop; he is a great guy but not an easy man to impress.

Iain

[jindabyne]

Well done young man. And in later life it will make you even more worthy.

[sidewayspeak]

Well deserved Bravo Zulu to a fine young man. Your mum would have been very proud.

[Herod]

One thing's for sure; he didn't get it for who he is, but for sheer ability. Respect.

[Airborne Aircrew]

A well deserved slap in the face for all those who questioned the man... :D







so the slap was in the face rather than the fish called a dace... :ugh:

[fantom]

ability

Well, he wouldn't have been signed off otherwise, would he?

[Arfur Dent]

No doubt about it, this is a very impressive acheivement. There is no way in the world he would be 'given' such an honour if he wasn't up to the task (and the rest of the crews would have something to say too if that was the case.)
Some of the best pilots in the RAF so "Well done, young man."

[Davey Emcee]

Seen in back of pub in Galway City.http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q108/bluepeter01/wills.jpg

[RS15]

Brill davey. Think one of those needs to go to Valley!

[Davey Emcee]

If I knew who to send it to I would.

[RS15]

C'mon C Flight, davey made you an offer.....

[zero1]

Respect to the young man... :D

[Pink Panther]

Yes, congrats. I know the crew of a certain red and white 61 pictured in the yesterday's Daily mail had tea and Bacon butties while in Valley during a rescue operation and were well impressed with the man in question.:D

[Bertie Thruster]

Earl grey, not streaky and tomato sauce only? (OK ok.... HP, but only for the rear crew)

[Biggus]

PP,

So are you saying he is good at making bacon butties.... ;)

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

I concur with Sven; I Sparky signed him up as Captain, then he's more than ready.

Well done Flt Lt Wales.

Duncs:ok:

[Rossian]

.....a pilot saying "I concur"?? That'll get you drummed out of the twin winged master race if you're not careful.

The Ancient Mariner

[DX Wombat]

So are you saying he is good at making bacon buttiesI thought the ability to make and consume good, tasty, bacon butties was mandatory for all members of the RAF. ;)

[Union Jack]

This must be one of the most rigorously (P)PRuNed threads I've ever se.......:eek:

Jack

[OafOrfUxAche]

This must be one of the most rigorously (P)PRuNed threads I've ever se.......http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/eek.gif



But it's still going. Whereas any thread involving the Reds gets axed even faster than a British MPA parked near Manchester...

[Genstabler]

Whereas any thread involving the Reds gets axed
Only those intruding unnecessarily cruelly into the private lives of serving personnel. Whereas serving royals seem to be fair game.

[Two's in]

Genuine question (and not about HRH's performance per se) - on RW what is the "normal" timescale from ab initio to PIC and what percentage of ab initios don't ever make the command seat in the RAF?

[Al-bert]

I don't know the percentages throughout RAF but it's very small on the SK. I had a co who never made capt but he went on to fly Tornadoes.
As for ab initio to pic, depends on role and any time spent holding. Took 3 yrs for me in early seventies to reach first sqn with an eleven month hold flying Chippies (so actually pic for those holding months!).

[Dundiggin']

:DVery well done Capt Wills. Brilliant stuff, taking the job seriously and doing the bizz. I am seriously impressed and so should anyone who knows anything about what is now required of him come hell or high water whilst he is in the job. I don't know of another Royal who has qualified as highly as Wills has, which makes this operational qualification all the more impressive. Very very well done!! :D:D:D:D:D

[charliegolf]

Dundiggin: the Grand Old Duke of York? Navy of course, which doesn't really count I suppose.

CG

[Dundiggin']

'Grand old Duke of York'? Please tell us more or are you talking about Andy...? Not wishing to denigrate his Falklands involvement, I would nevertheless regard Will's qualification as much more demanding because of the nature of the job..........but wtf do I know..

[Dengue_Dude]

Best of luck, young sir.

SARTU (or whatever they call it these days) was always one of the hardest courses in the RAF.

Yellow-hatters always have had my respect . . . when the rest of us were considering stacking due weather, these guys were often getting ready to go.

Respect.

[Union Jack]

I don't know of another Royal who has qualified as highly as Wills has ....

'Grand old Duke of York'? Please tell us more or are you talking about Andy ...?

Well, Dundiggin', after a little diggin', here are three you may have heard of, all of whom were awarded wings and also achieved sea command and thus also known as Captain:

Duke of Edinburgh HMS MAGPIE as Lieut Cdr 1950
Prince of Wales HMS BRONINGTON as Lieut 1976
Duke of York HMS COTTESMORE as Lieut Cdr 1993

Now you know!:ok:

Jack

[[email protected]]

Two's in - 18 months to 2 years from leaving the OCU to operational Captain is the norm but can take longer. Only had 1 in 12 years on 22 Sqn that didn't make it eventually.

[Pink Panther]

"So are you saying he is good at making bacon butties"....

Biggus, whoever made them, they are still being talked about. They are part of folklore now.:ok:

[Basil]

OK, round to HRH's for eggy bakes!
How many wives forced a smile as hubby appeared about 2330 with half the mess? :) (:*)