Prince William flies to the rescue

Published on Sunday 11 January 2009 21:22

PRINCE William starts his RAF career today by training to become a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot.

The second-in-line to the throne will learn to fly Sea King helicopters with pinpoint accuracy in treacherous conditions.

The Prince, 26, has a self confessed love of flying and sees the RAF as his best opportunity to "serve operationally" in the Armed Forces as it is too dangerous to post him to Afghanistan.

Group Captain David Prowse, station commander of RAF Shawbury, near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, where the Prince will do most of his training, said William would be joining a unit whose work was a "vital" part of the emergency services.

It will cost 800,000 for the two-year course for Training Flight Lieutenant Wales – as the prince will be known – and has been codenamed Golden Osprey by Ministry of Defence officials.

William's immediate future appears mapped out, with the royal expected to become an operational pilot early in 2011 and complete at least one three-year search and rescue tour of duty on a starting salary of 36,000.