PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Fg Off Wales' Wings
View Single Post
Old 12th Apr 2008, 00:04
  #72 (permalink)  
Samuel
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Age: 84
Posts: 897
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Apropos Charles flying ability...some years ago, while on a visit to New Zealand, he was taken by Andover to a property in the hill country of the South Island [it might have been the Elworthy's, but I can't recall], and the Captain was given instructions that "under no circumstances" was HRH to be handed control other than straight and level.

His visit was not long after he'd broken an arm or a wrist or something falling off a horse, and when he finally departed Whenuapai, he was gifted a rocking horse complete with seat belts.

As regards Will's Wings, it's all symbolic really isn't it? He's not a real pilot, never will be, so does it matter, given who he is?

There is a well-known TV personality here in NZ who fancied himself a bit, learned to fly, then bought himself a Stearman which he pranged...twice. After the second incident, he was photographed walking away from the tangled wreck wearing a flying suit complete with RNZAF pilots wings. There were a number of letters to the paper, including one from me and I'm not a pilot, telling him that they had to be earned, and that he would never achieve that standard etc..etc.. He removed them! Mind you, he also quit flying, probably a good move.
Samuel is offline