Prince William prepares for take-off as RAF stint begins

PRINCE William will follow in his father's footsteps next week when he begins training to fly with the RAF.

He will don overalls and a helmet and take to the skies with an instructor in order to earn his wings, just as the Prince of Wales did more than 35 years ago.

The training is part of a four-month attachment with the RAF to help William, 25, get to grips with the service's ethos, traditions and military role in preparation for his future role as head of the armed forces. After four months with the RAF, the prince will serve with the Royal Navy.

The prince, an officer with the Household Cavalry, begins his training on Monday with a class of around 11 students at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.

During his placement he will be known as Flying Officer Wales – the equivalent to his army rank in the Blues and Royals of Second Lieutenant.

Group Captain Nick Seward, Commandant of the Central Flying School at RAF Cranwell, stressed that the prince would not be given any preferential treatment.

He said: "During his time with us, Flying Officer Wales will be realising a personal ambition to learn how to fly. This will be the beginning of a life-long relationship with the Royal Air Force."

And he added: "Throughout his attachment, while also training alongside fellow officers, we are very keen to make sure that Flying Officer Wales will have the opportunity to meet airmen of all ranks to enable him to have as broad as possible idea of the RAF and how it differs from what he has seen in the army.

"If successful, he will be awarded his RAF wings and in anticipation of this, a graduation ceremony is planned for April.

"Following his training, Flying Officer Wales will be attached to front-line units, including support helicopter, search and rescue, air transport and fighter aircraft which the Royal Air Force operates."

Prince William's "bespoke" shortened course has been designed to show him different elements of RAF pilot training, and is in sharp contrast to the demanding three or four years of training that someone who wants to become a fully-fledged RAF pilot has to undergo.

His father, Prince Charles, completed his own short course at RAF Cranwell in 1971 and graduated that year as a Flight Lieutenant. And William's uncle, the Duke of York, flew Sea King helicopters during the Falklands War in 1982.

Prince William's first day with 1 Squadron of 1 Elementary Flying Training School will see him take the controls of a propeller-driven Grob 115E light aircraft, known as the Tutor.

If he completes the initial training, the prince will move to 1 Flying Training School at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, where he will get to grips with the faster Tucano T1 plane. He will finally progress to RAF Shawbury in Shropshire to fly the Squirrel helicopter.

Squadron Leader Kevin Marsh, who is overseeing Prince William's attachment, said: "We have adapted the course and we have cut out anything superfluous to his specific needs, because we're not teaching him to be an operational pilot, we're teaching him to be a competent pilot.

"It's going to be pretty tough. We expect him to work five days a week; he'll be flying probably twice a day and he'll have study to do in the evenings as well.

"The course is tough but achievable. We've made it achievable and we don't want to set him up to fail, but he will certainly have to pass each phase of the course to progress."

Only high-flyers need apply to join elite

SHÂN ROSS

BECOMING an RAF pilot is one of the toughest career challenges any job-seeker could face, but thousands of hopeful candidates apply each year.

And while the selection panel is looking for physical fitness and leadership skills, would-be pilots would be well advised to sit down with a newspaper and swot up on current affairs, too.

One of the most common questions applicants face is: "What do you think were the most important world events in the last year?" This is designed to show if candidates understand the role of the RAF in international conflict situations.

Potential recruits attend a selection week at RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire where they undergo aptitude tests, a medical and a 45-minute interview, usually with a squadron leader or flight lieutenant.

The basic criteria for training as an RAF pilot are:

• The joining age is between 17 years and 6 months and 23 years, but exceptions may be made for commercial pilots or service personnel with a technical background. The force is open to both men and women.

• You need to be a British citizen since birth or holder of dual British/other nationality.

• Education – You need five GCSEs/SCEs (minimum Grade C/Grade 3, must include English language and maths) and two A-levels/three Highers or equivalent. Most RAF pilots are graduates and have to complete initial officer training before a period of advanced officer training.

• Health assessments include a full medical. Part of this involves measuring distances between hip and knee, knee to ankle and shoulder to fingertip to ensure applicants will be able to operate equipment properly.

A sight test is carried out, but applicants who wear glasses or contact lenses are not barred. Colour blindness is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

• Aptitude tests include computer skill tests to measure reaction time, mental agility and memory. The examiners are looking for good eye-hand-foot co-ordination, deductive reasoning and spatial orientation.

• Team games such as having to cross an aircraft hangar floor without putting a foot on the ground are used to test teamwork, leadership and interaction skills.

• The second half of the process examines the candidate's motivation for joining the RAF – what they know about it, their understanding of its role in the military and current affairs.

&149 Candidates are marked on manner; oral communication; achievements and interests; physical activities; motivation; awareness; academic qualifications and overall impact.

• Pay after training is around £31,900.