Jackonicko - You're right
Whatever your view of the Royals, qualifications always incur a price in terms of real sweat. There is a strong argument that the heir to the thrown should have a working knowledge of those services for which he will nominally be signing the commission scrolls some time in the future (at least in facsimile). Nevertheless, awarding pilots' wings is a step too far.
Cornet Wales could have enjoyed the necessary experience without the facade of paper wings. We all know how honorary the wings are but the public cannot be expected to see the difference. The whole issue smacks of political spin and I wonder what advantage Glen Torpy saw in it, if he had much choice in the matter versus more important issues. If it was just for short term RAF publicity, I am mightily disappointed.
As a fully paid-up member of the two-winged master race, I agree with Jackonicko's sentiment (at least as I read it) that award of wings has been an inappropriate reward for Cornet Wales' limited experience. Whilst I'm not crying into my pint, I feel my wings have been somewhat devalued as a result. I feel no pride in their being shared for lesser training, not because I had to go through the mill therefore so should everyone else, but simply because Wings are meant to guarantee a minimum standard, one I have been proud to share with deserving individuals. At one time (certainly in the last decade), and maybe still now, Wings were simply 'loaned' until a pilot achieved combat ready or operational status on a sqn. In this case, that has hardly been achieved.
So far as the Chinook ride is concerned, shame on the powers that be for being so naive. A few years back (2002'sish), weekend landaways were being cancelled due to the unhealthy interest of the Sun and similar newspapers. Somehow, the link between having an honest beer in a foreign bar and the training dividend in getting there was being frowned at publicly - an experience I think many an ex-Harrier pilot will remember. So less than six years' later, how did anyone feel that this incident would be ignored, whether or not it could be passed off as some obscure part of Cornet Wales' famil training?
Just because Royals across the globe have been doing this for generations does not mean it is right.