In just the latest in a long line of increasingly lengthy Ministry of Defence
statements relating to William’s use of military aircraft during his training with the RAF, an official
explains: "During Flying Officer Wales' attachment to RAF Odiham he was
introduced to the techniques and roles of the RAF's frontline support
helicopters."
"All flights undertaken with Flying Officer Wales were planned,
briefed, authorised and flown by him, under appropriate supervision, in
accordance with extant regulations and were accommodated within his planned
flying programme. He was accompanied at all times by a senior pilot instructor
and experienced aircrew."
"The training sorties that either allowed Flying Officer Wales to
attend private functions (in the Isle of Wight and Hexham) or land and take off
(20 seconds later) from a privately owned field failed to appreciate how the
media and public would perceive these activities. In retrospect, there was a
degree of naivety in the planning of these sorties."
The MoD statement concludes: "However, these media stories should not detract from what has been an
extremely successful and valuable attachment for Flying Officer Wales. He
displayed natural flying ability and was able to gain an invaluable insight
into the roles and capabilities of a modern air force."
Am I being paranoid here or am I the only one not to have been buzzed by Prince
William?
Having said that, considering the nature of my daily job I don’t think I want a Chinook
aircraft flown by any member of the Royal Family coming anywhere near me as I
might find myself blown off my feet (or worse!).
Comment: Exploora, the picture is very appropriate, if you know what I mean...
Name: exploora
Comment: http://newton-i.usefilm.com/images /4/0/1/3/4013/1027348-medium.jpg ...Too late as "Flying paparazzo" evidence shows.
Name: Monika
Comment: Joanne, lol!!!
Name: Monika
Comment: Exploora, pleeease don't give the paps any ideas! I could just see the purchase order being presented to some editor in the a.m.
Name: exploora
Comment: Who knows how many hours of flight assimilation he has had.
I also hear the Santa being tracked may be an impostor.
So when it comes to boobs and errors, it is hard to know which are real and which are only contrived for man's amusement and are not real.
This sure does renew meaning of "Highness" though, and I guess us on the ground are still the "lowness".
Name: Joanne
Comment: Monika,
Unfortunately I can't look out of my other window as it's been boarded up after being shattered on Saturday night by the sheer force of the wind caused by that helicopter I mentioned as I wrote the Sunday newspaper review.
Oh hang on..............darn it, I missed him!
Joanne
Name: exploora
Comment: If he is qualified and is flying with due care, I would welcome him in the sky. If the paps are chasing him in their own helicopters, I would then be very concerned.
Wills even said if he was just an ordinary person he would have probably been a pilot possibly doing rescue work. Also Kate's father was a pilot, so it sort of made sense that field was chosen.
If he did have an accident though, I suppose the chance of it being a fatal one would be high. And maybe his body guards are a bit concerned, or possibly their wives are.
Name: Emily Elizabeth Windsor-Cragg
Comment: No way in the world, with four months' training, did Wills fly a helicopter unaided or without a trainer present.
No helicopter STUDENT can fly passengers without a commercial rating. Do you know how much training it takes to fly other passengers in a helicopter?
200 hours flight time. Somebody else piloted these helicopters in question.
My own son Edward has 100 hours flying time in a small plane over the past year, and he still considers himself an intermediate pilot of his little bitty Cessna. Never mind, a military helicopter, indeed! Somebody's prevaricating bigtime.
EEWC
Name: colleen
Comment: Well I just had to comment although I am beginning to feel like the devils advocate lately when it comes to the Royals. This has to be totally bizarre to say the least that he would be able to do this as even though he had experienced crew with him to be is such populated areas you would think would be dangerous, also there is, apparently a shortage of Chinook helicopters for use in Afghanistan. You would think that even if the military agreed he would of himself knowing the outrage that would come of this decide he would not partake, I know some would like to throw rotten eggs at me for saying this but the PR from Clarence House what with the visiting of hospitals and a feather in his cap from the Queen early did not stop the stories. If I hear a helicopter and think it might be Wills they say the safest place is under your bed so thats where I will be heading.
Name: Monika
Comment: Joanne: "Am I being paranoid here or am I the only one not to have been buzzed by Prince William?"
as "Flying paparazzo" evidence shows.
