William to transfer to RAF
 

News on the BBC saying HRH is going to transfer to the RAF "full time" - apparently as a SARboy....

Looks like we can have another ten page thread rambling on about his wings....:rolleyes:

OK, I timed that as 8 minutes from the announcement on 5Live until it appeared on PPrune!!

I do recall back in the day when he was a youngster it was reported that he really wanted to be a pilot.

5Live? Dear god man....

Still, 2 minutes to first reply from person checking/commenting on how long it took a news story to get on Pprune. Not sure which is worse...

It's a quiet day.........:ok:

I'm a little out of touch (was probably never 'in touch':hmm:) but I thought we had sold the SAR force along with the family silver?

Anyway, good news for the RAF. :ok:

...neat solution, as will keep him in the UK out of harms way I assume, whilst fulfilling a worthwhile and challenging operational role that could well put him in the public eye.

No reason why he shouldn't go down South though!!??

It sounds as though he will be doing the full rotary course a Shawbury. The BBC has spoken about 18 months from starting training to getting to a SAR flight. Just in time for a tour before the introduction of SARH.

I think it's fair enough if he completes Shawbury, SARTU and the OCU. What's the betting he isn't posted to Wattisham!! :}

Its good to see him wanting to do his bit. But I hope the fact that he has decided he wants SAR does not prevent someone who has been doing the 'real' operational work (chinnys, pumas, merlins) from getting a respite tour on SAR.

3 years with 84 Sqn would keep him out of the tabloids.

Only problem is that any number of moist slappers will now try to find out where the lad is based, then throw themselves off mountains, or into the sea on a lilo....

"One day, my Prince will come.....






...and then make me do likewise!", they will hope!

It's a welcome development in RAF recruiting policy. The fact that a youngster can now nominate his chosen role before training means that the RAF will now be able to attract the best of the peaceniks, wheezy kids, etc. who may have moral or medical difficulties with becoming glass chewing warrior types.....

This is forward-looking stuff. The keen airline wannabe will be able to sign up for a short service commission on the Shiny fleet, while those with a bent for instructing will be able to decide at OASC that they'll be a creamie on whatever type they choose.

My only concern is to how the Air Force will fulfill the less popular slots. Who will be nominating themselves for the Falklands, etc.?

I'm also a bit concerned as to why it will take the bloke 18 months to get to a SAR flight. He has wings, after all, and had reached a sufficiently advanced stage to be doing legitimate land away training sorties in the Chinook. Surely conversion to the Sea King doesn't take that long?

What's that you say? But I've never heard of 'honorary wings' and that's NOT what they said when he was awarded them......

How does one get onto this fast track wings course - 4 years down to 4 months seems a good deal.

I am not military and never have been, but do know a few that have made it and a few that haven't. I am assuming that HRH will have to meet the same standards as everyone else, in the same number of attempts and timeframe as everyone else or will be given the proverbial axe. Mind you, it isn't like people's lives are at stake or anything...............

I have respect for the Royal Family and what they do, but sometimes such announcements do make you wonder :rolleyes:

Torygraph: Prince William to become pilot in RAF search and rescue service

Prince William is to become a full-time pilot with the RAF's Search and Rescue Force.

The surprise announcement from Clarence House ends the speculation that Prince William would leave the military next year to become a full-time working Royal.

In his new role, which requires an 18-month training period, he will fly Sea King helicopters. He will be attached to the air search and rescue team for a minimum 30 month period which means he will be at least 31 before he will even consider returning to civilian life.

The young prince first experienced the work of the Search and Rescue Force in December 2005 when he spent two weeks on work experience at RAF Valley in Wales. When he has completed his training he will be required to take part in hazardous rescue operations winching people to safety from cliffs, boats and open water.

Prince William will start his training with the rank of Flying Officer having been commissioned into the RAF in January 2008. He will transfer his service from the Army, in which he currently serves as Lieutenant in the Blues and Royals, to the RAF. He is the first member of the Royal Family to work for the RAF Search and Rescue force.

Prince William, who loves flying, had been frustrated that he could not spend time in Afghanistan, like Prince Harry, because he is a future King.

In a statement, Prince William said: "It has been a real privilege to have spent the past year understanding and experiencing all aspects of the British Armed Forces. I now want to build on the experience and training I have received to serve operationally - especially because, for good reasons, I was not able to deploy to Afghanistan this year with D Squadron of the Household Cavalry Regiment."

"The time I spent with the RAF earlier this year made me realise how much I love flying. Joining Search and Rescue is a perfect opportunity for me to serve in the Forces operationally, while contributing to a vital part of the country's emergency services."

The future King, an officer in the Household Cavalry, has spent much of the last 12 months on attachment with the RAF and the Royal Navy.

In the next few weeks he will become the first member of the Royal family to spend time with the elite SAS. He will also spend time with the Special Boat Squadron, the sister regiment of the SAS, and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. He will spend up to six weeks with the Special Services as part of his training across all branches of the military in preparation for when, as king, he will be the head of the Armed Forces.

Prince William learnt to fly this year and he was presented with his wings by the Prince of Wales. The Duke of York flew helicopters in the Royal Navy.

Purple Airspace
 

Will he have to sign for Royal Flights for his own sorties?:confused:

What about the Protection guys - will they have a seat in the back of the cab and get paid overtime for sitting in the crewroom :confused:

I take it the Chinook was too big for Kate's back garden. :O

I hear nothing's too big for her back garden....

I wonder when he gets disillusioned and he PVR's............ , any ROS?, how long 'til he reaches escape velocity? Gets short notice posting?

If the guy makes the grade okay and goes on to do the job, then well done to him - and well done to the RAF for recognising the possible PR value in all this. Cut him a little slack, it's nice that he actually wants to do something sensible...

Pray to heaven that the 'popping down the girlfriend's place' type of faux pas is a thing of the past, of course.

Personally I think he should have become a pilot on the Queen's flight - bodyguard issues then recede (they'd already be there for the pax) and he could avoid the need for duty visits to gran etc by simply arranging to fly her whenever it's been a while since they last had a chin wag.

Dave

I hear that it is only an 18 month stint, not even a whole tour! dbee

Hang on a minute, he's a nice enough guy but shouldn't he now do the job properly and be accepted by OASC first?
:E

Unless he's going to be a supernumerary bod on one of the flights, some keen young chap who has passed OASC and IOT will find himself chopped when he otherwise wouldn't have been.

Still, I'll bet one of the SAR flights will get a lot more eng man power.

Sarmonkey,

I haven't laughed out load like that for a while. Many thanks!

Thank God! - now the RAF News will have a good topical story!
I might even look forward to it! - well, perhaps not.

At least he's been found somewhere to get taught how to fly (free) and not go to anywhere 'iffy' or too far from a bacon butty (or Watey)- and with the possibility of heroic medals too.

Perfect.

At the end of the day this will be a good thing for the RAF. Yes the trg system will fit around his requirements and yes that will be a pain for some people. However, with all of the influence he has and will have in the future, having our future King in the RAF, is going to be a very positive thing for the RAF.

It's happening, so moaning about it and sniping achieves nothing other than to give journos something to misquote.

GB2

and not go to anywhere 'iffy'



Have you done a SAR tour?

Flogging around mountains or the 'oggin when it's a bit 'blowy', to me, is definitely 'iffy'.

Cut the guy some slack.

Good luck to the lad.

Hmmm, wonder if Andrew will be happy?

I was told a tale about a certain Royal Lynx pilot and a Mayday :E:E

Taxydual,
No. I've haven't 'done' SAR - but I've done enough 'chugging about mountains' to know that SAR boys get their chances for possible heroic medals.

Like I said...Perfect.

Hang on a minute, he's a nice enough guy but shouldn't he now do the job properly and be accepted by OASC first?

Probably better not - they might recommend him as a loadie!:)

Jack

PS By doing the job properly, I suspect that he will earn a great deal more respect by qualifying fully for his rotary wings ....

Poor bloke can't win with half you lot can he ....

If he doesn't do anything he's a lazy w*****r who shouldn't wear the uniform

If he tries to do something he's "stealing someone else's place"

The guy is an intelligent, capable bloke, who has more pressure applied to achieve in a very short time than most other folks.... why not wait and see if he, like a close relative, can actually fly helicopters well, and do the job better than some.

If you don't know the relative I refer to .. do some research on the Falklands War and a certain chopper pilot.

Why's that then ?

Hang on just another cotton-pickin' minute....

Union Jack - Ah! Someone who sees my point!

We're chucking a guy who likes flying into the seat without checking via OASC if he's (and was initially?) competent. Who's in the wrong if something 'unfortunate' happens in the future. Don't get me wrong; I really like the guy and wish him every success in what I honestly believe he seriously wants to do. However, for his own 'street cred.'......

Who is to say that even though he has not been through OASC he wont be a capable pilot? There must be people that have failed at OASC and have gone on be very capable pilots in the civi world? Also some of those that have succeeded and gone through the system and turned out to be shockingly bad! I’m sure that some rear crew would hold testament to that! :}
Give the guy a break, he could just say bugger it I’m not gonna bother! Let’s wait and see what happens, he might just surprise us!:E

He probably wants a free 3 year holiday in Cyprus.

Good luck to him, let him enjoy himself while he can. Soon enough he will be enveloped by nothing but royal duties.

You do realisethe Queen's Flt has become 32 (The Royal) Sqn and that they are doing less and less VIP stuff and more in-thetre comms work?

Ministry of Defence | Defence News | History and Honour | EXCLUSIVE: Royal Squadron ready for role change - Part One

(That said, I'm still going to claim it was the Queen's personal jet that ferried me around the Gulf that time... 8-) )

And getting paid well for them, as well as living the life of Riley.

Another Royal who cannot handle life in the fighting forces, so takes the easy RAF option. Harry is the only one who actually wants a fight......Mmmmm.....

Ultimately he is now doing the proper series of courses to become an RAF pilot. Assuming he is good enough to get as far as one of the SAR flights and becomes CR then great.

This is not going to result in another pilot being chopped, and is very good news for both the RAF and the SAR Force. From what I've seen of him he wants to get stuck in - so if he's good enough then let him!

As regards OASC

Prince William has completed a formal (if somewhat abbreviated) course of flying training with the Royal Air Force. So the RAF has had a good opportunity to assess his flying potential in the most effective way (we don't do this for everyone 'cos it costs too much). I rather suspect that if he wasn't up to it, a Very Senior Officer would have had a quiet word with somebody and gently steered the Prince in another direction, for the good of himself and the Service.

And PLEASE don't suggest that OASC are going to have the arrogance to fail the future King on Officer Qualities.

Sven

Why all this grief about OASC? He graduated from Sandhurst and has done enough flying to show that he has some aptitude. Admittedly, he probably didn't start out by visiting some recruiting office, but Rank has it's privileges. He's obviously not allowed to go somewhere with a high risk of being shot at, but he will be in a position where his life will be on the line, more so than the average civilian (or Royal!). Good for him.

ZH875
You really are the epitomy of all that is bad about the British public.

I bet you wouldn't like to swap places with William, and you are just a bitter tw@t.

He's welcome to the money in exchange for his "life of riley". Never being able to have normal relationship, wake up covered in vomit, visit a titty bar, pull three nurses, have a fight in a bar, make real friends without always worrying about finding someone has spilled the beans to the Sun.

"Another Royal who cannot handle life in the fighting forces, so takes the easy RAF option. Harry is the only one who actually wants a fight......Mmmmm..... "

And as for that quote,
Tosser!

You saw how much trouble Harry had in getting near a sandy place, and he is knowhere near the throne. William had no chance whatsoever, and I think SAR is a bloody good choice in his position.