Vfw614 From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3582 posts, RR: 5 Posted (5 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 2400 times:
According to media reports, British Prince William, the 2nd in line to the throne, will undergo flight training with the RAF from next week on. While RAF student pilots usually are trained for 3-4 years, the Prince is undergoing only four months of flight training, initially on a Grob 115E, then on a Tucano and finally on a Squirrel.
The official line is: "The prince is not undertaking a full training course."
So to what extent will he be qualified after four months of training? News articles says that he will be flying twice a day on most days and study in the evenings.
Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (5 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 2284 times:
Quoting Vfw614 (Thread starter): the Prince is undergoing only four months of flight training, initially on a Grob 115E, then on a Tucano and finally on a Squirrel.
If I was him I'd ask my grandmother to fix it for me to fly the Typhoon !
Zkpilot From New Zealand, joined Mar 2006, 4739 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (5 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 2264 times:
Quoting Vfw614 (Thread starter): While RAF student pilots usually are trained for 3-4 years, the Prince is undergoing only four months of flight training, initially on a Grob 115E, then on a Tucano and finally on a Squirrel.
The official line is: "The prince is not undertaking a full training course."
So to what extent will he be qualified after four months of training? News articles says that he will be flying twice a day on most days and study in the evenings.
But does that 3-4 years include officer training? He already has officer training etc so is indocturined into the military. 3-4 months is pretty quick for learning to fly, but 2 lessons per day for 4 months is more than what most trainee civilian pilots do in 2 years
Wrighbrothers From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 1875 posts, RR: 10 Reply 4, posted (5 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 2237 times:
He is getting basic flying training, he is learning the basics of how to fly different types of plane and helicopter as part of his attachement to the RAF where's he's learning basically how the other services work and see how it differs to the army (like them doing less work than us ), he'll have the rank of Flying officer and wear an RAF unifrom while he's with them for his 4 months, and supposidly will mingle with the peasant airmen and NCOs too !
The main reason he's doing this is because as monach, he will one day be head of the armed forces and so need to know how all 3 services are like, how they work etc, after this I beleive he's going to train on how to 'drive' submarines with the Navy.
As I said, his flying is PART of his experiance, it's not the actual reason why he's going (officialy atleast).
He'll earn his basic wings, which provided that he passes the tests, means he will be able to fly solo, perform basic aerobatics, deal with mid-air emergencies and fly in formation.
The normal RAF pilots have much longer courses because unlike the Prince, they are training for their job and hence need much longer training, this is like the differance between someone earning their PPL and getting an ATPL or, the differance between learning to drive a normal car and a Rally car, the training is much different because they are different things.
Wrighbrothers
Always stand up for what is right, even if it means standing alone..
Vfw614 From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3582 posts, RR: 5 Reply 5, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 2004 times:
Looked at some media reports and they say he will be on a "normal" course with a dozen or so other aspiring pilots, so it appears as if the course is not tailor-made for him but he is simply shoe-horned into the normal training syllabus woth some modifications. To what extent this fits into him flying both the Grob and the Tucano within four months, I have no idea.
Vfw614 From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3582 posts, RR: 5 Reply 7, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 4 days ago) and read 1709 times:
Actually, both his father and his uncle have flown helicopters in regular units while serving in the military, haven't they? Prince Andrew even saw action in the Falkland war.
Banco From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 14752 posts, RR: 55 Reply 8, posted (5 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1316 times:
Quoting Vfw614 (Reply 7): Prince Andrew even saw action in the Falkland war.
Those who aren't the heir to the throne can see action, because, to be blunt, they are "spares". Prince William? No chance, and Charles would never have been put in harm's way either.
The Prince Harry debate was whether it would put others at increased risk, not him.
She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.
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), he'll have the rank of Flying officer and wear an RAF unifrom while he's with them for his 4 months, and supposidly will mingle with the peasant airmen and NCOs too ! 
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