William takes to skies over Falklands

Published on Sunday 5 February 2012 00:00

THE Duke of Cambridge has taken to the skies over the Falkland Islands at the beginning of his six-week tour of duty.

William arrived on the archipelago last week amid escalating tensions between Britain and Argentina over the disputed region.

Yesterday the Ministry of Defence issued photographs of William in his role as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot. The images show William, who is part of a four-man team, consulting maps with a colleague in a squadron operations room. In another shot the 29-year-old is sitting at the controls of a yellow Sea King helicopter.

William, who in the RAF is called Flt Lt Wales, will provide search and rescue cover for both the civilian and military population.

The Duke’s first shift involved briefings on the unique and challenging flying environment of the Falklands and familiarisation with the location and the job he is to perform.

Squadron Leader Miles Bartlett, said: “A posting to operations in the Falklands is a vital part of the career progression for a search and rescue pilot. The experience they get here is second to none.

“It is a challenging and varied job providing an essential capability to the military and the Falkland Islands population.”

Search and rescue crews have to contend with a variety of challenging conditions as the weather on the islands is often changeable and a significant number of the population live in very remote and rugged areas.

While search and rescue remains their primary responsibility crews can be expected to complete a multitude of challenging tasks, including rescuing fishermen from trawlers, taking seriously ill patients to hospital.

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samcoldstream

Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 09:49 AM

Faster than a speeding bullet.....it's a bird....it's a plane....its.....

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