Ahh, to be young, handsome, rich, privileged and get flying lessons for free. Life is so unfair!

From Associated Press:

LONDON - Prince William will begin taking flying lessons next week at the start of a four-month assignment with the Royal Air Force, the military announced Friday.

The prince will begin his course on Monday with around 10 other students at the RAF Cranwell base in eastern England, the air force said. He will be known as Flying Officer William Wales, and will train on helicopters as well as fixed-wing aircraft.

“During his time with us, Flying Officer Wales will be realizing a personal ambition to learn how to fly and this will be the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the Royal Air Force,” said Group Captain Nick Seward, commander of the air force flying school.

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

William, 25, is following in the footsteps of his father, Prince Charles, in serving with all three branches of the armed forces. The British monarch is symbolic head of the forces, and William is second in line to the throne, behind his father.

Prince William graduated from Sandhurst military academy in December 2006 and has spent the last year as a second lieutenant in the army’s Blues and Royals cavalry regiment. His younger brother, Harry, 23, is also an officer in the Blues and Royals.

Truncated program
William will undergo a shortened version of the air force’s standard pilot training course and will follow his stint in the air force with several months with the Royal Navy.

“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,” said Squadron Leader Kevin Marsh, who is overseeing William’s attachment.

Some questioned the training for William at a time when the military complains of being overstretched due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Graham Smith, from the anti-monarchist group Republic, called the prince’s flying lessons “a disgraceful waste of resources.”

“If William wants to learn to fly, he should either do it on his own time and at his own expense or commit to serving a full career in the air force,” Smith said.

Long family tradition
The royal family has a long tradition of military service. Prince Charles completed pilot training at RAF Cranwell in 1971. William’s uncle, Prince Andrew, flew Sea King helicopters with the Royal Navy during the 1982 Falklands War.

Prince William’s grandfather, Prince Philip, saw active service with the navy throughout World War II.

Queen Elizabeth II, William’s grandmother, was trained as a truck driver with the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II.

 

Nice. A friend of mine used to own the DeHavilland Chipmunk the Duke of Edinburgh soloed in.. It's now in a museum in New Zealand. The tradition continues...

 

I've flown a chipmunk, it's a dog and leaks (oil) like one too.

 

William will undergo a shortened version of the air force’s standard pilot training course and will follow his stint in the air force with several months with the Royal Navy.

“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,” said Squadron Leader Kevin Marsh, who is overseeing William’s attachment.

That's absolutely ridiculous. I totally agree with Smith on this one. What a ROYAL waste of resources, he he

 

At the end, he is no different than any other student pilot on a first solo. Glad he didn't mess it up.
From Associated Press:

LONDON - Prince William was surprised, a bit nervous and finally elated by his first solo flight.

William, 25, the elder son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, is having flight training with the Royal Air Force. He flew alone for the first time Wednesday.

“God knows how somebody trusted me with an aircraft and my own life,” he said of his flight in a propeller-driven trainer.

“I was doing a few circuits going round and round then Roger (Bousfield), my instructor, basically turned round and said, ‘Right, I’m going to jump out now’ and I said, ‘What, where are you going?”’
“He said, ‘You’re going on your own ...”’

No problem
Once airborne, the prince said, “it was fine.”

“You just remember your checks and do all the things you’ve got to do and fly the circuit,” he said.

“Then I was watching the runway getting closer and closer and thinking, please, please don’t mess this up,” William said Thursday.

 

His older relatives actually flew operationally in the UK military, as opposed to "for fun". I'm not a Brit, so it's really none of my business, but it would look better if they:

1) Made him do the FULL training program

2) Made him serve the same operational committment as any other pilot.

But all things considered, he seems like a pretty good kid.

 

Well, he's got the creed down, sorta.

Bugger may have been more appropriate, being British and all.

 

True, they did, but they were never the ones in direct line to the throne. He is. For that reason, he will never do anything close to actual operational service. As far as the full training program - the waste of resources would be teaching the more advanced military applications, etc, versus giving him what is likely to be the UK equivalant of a PPL.

Just my two cents - living in Europe, if I want an English language newspaper besides the Stars and Stripes, it is generally a British publication, so I see a lot of news on the Royals I never really wanted.....

 

I think Andy was my favorite - flew combat and dated porn stars (Koo Stark). That, to me, is how Royals should be.

 

I though Prince Charles flew in the navy, and served for years?

I could see being extra careful if they only had one hier, but there is an installed spare in this case. I do understand the need to avoid ground combat in the middle east...a prince would become the hunted, not the hunter, and would endanger his own men just by being there.