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William takes charge as he seeks to earn his wings

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Published Date: 08 January 2008
PRINCE William took control of a light aircraft yesterday when he began an intensive RAF course to learn how to fly.
The young royal is fulfilling a long-held ambition and will be following in the footsteps of his father, the Prince of Wales, who earned his wings 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 as he prepares to, one day, head the armed forces.

The prince, an officer with the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals, joined a class of 11 students at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.

He is a second lieutenant and a trained troop commander in charge of armoured Scimitar vehicles. During his placement, however, he will be known as Flying Officer William Wales – equivalent to his army rank – and wear an RAF uniform.

Group Captain Nick Seward, Commandant of the Central Flying School at Cranwell, said of the prince's training:

"This will be the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the Royal Air Force."



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  • Last Updated: 07 January 2008 10:01 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Prince William
 
1

Kipling,

08/01/2008 01:48:49
At least it might for the duration stop his brain shrinking from the effects of alcohol.
2

Geoff,

South Africa 08/01/2008 04:23:41
1 Kipling-like he's the only young man in the world who likes to take a drink! Give the guy a break-I suppose you drank lemonade when you were his age?
3

GalacticCannibal,

Murrieta 08/01/2008 05:40:04
What a waste of taxpayers money... Clearly the UK taxpayer don't how their money is squandered

GC
4

Guga II,

Rockall 08/01/2008 06:51:49
#3 Galactic Cornball. We don't know all the ways our money is being squandered, but this is definitely one of them.

Just how much is it going to cost to teach this parasite how to fly, at the taxpayer's expense? If he really wants to learn to fly, why can't his father pay for private tuition? He makes enough money from his ill-gotten gains, as well as his hand-outs from the taxpayer.
5

Kipling,

@DoomRay tardis 08/01/2008 10:10:36
In instructing him on how to adjust the airfoils they might also teach him how to trim his teeth. From where does the present generation of royals get their gargantuan gleaming incisors? One way of ensuring they pay their way would be to auction their mole-rat ivories :

(see http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/ animals/mammals/naked-mole-rat.html )
6

Kipling,

08/01/2008 10:17:03
#2. Geoff. I don't remember. Nor will he.
7

Geoff,

sa 08/01/2008 12:19:46
6 Kipling- I only drank Tyzer,Irn Bru and 7Up!!
8

Unimpressed one,

08/01/2008 17:10:01
I suspect his mother would be turning in her grave at the thought of her son going into the armed forces. Still we have to find something that they can whittle their time away at until they are left to whittle away their time.

 

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