Prince George is ‘already studying to fly on the age of simply 11’
Prince George is ‘already learning to fly’ having taken his first trip in the air on the final day of his school summer holidays.
According to The Sun, the future king ‘loved’ his maiden flight on the White Waltham Airfield near Maidenhead.
Reports suggest The Prince and Princess of Wales watched the 11-year-old take off from the runway with an instructor and come back to land safely just under an hour later.
William and Kate had turned up with George in a three-car convoy at the Berkshire airfield – a ten mile drive from their Windsor home.
After the flight was complete, all three royals are said to have relaxed at the airfield’s clubhouse – home to the West London Aero Club.
Prince George enjoyed his first flight in the last week of his school holiday
The future king is said to have ‘loved’ his maiden flight on the White Waltham Airfield near Maidenhead (Note: this picture is from 2017 when the Prince visited Airbus in Hamburg, Germany)
Reports suggest The Prince and Princess of Wales watched the 11-year-old take off from the runway and come back to land safely just under an hour later (Note: This picture is from 2016 during a visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford)
An onlooker said: ‘George is only 11 years old but it is the right time to start. The Royal Family has a proud tradition of flying and it looks like George is next in line.
‘His parents watched George take flight from the safety of the ground but he flew with an instructor and loved it.’
One person at the airfield said there was ’30 or 40 people’ in the clubhouse whilst William, Kate and George were there, adding that ‘all three had been pretty chilled’.
Pilots can start learning to fly at any age — but training hours that count towards a licence start from the age of 14.
Students must be accompanied by an instructor until age 16, after which they can be sent solo.
Under the guidance to obtain a Private Pilot Licence from the Civil Aviation Authority, pupils must be guided through a minimum of 45 flying hours and pass nine theoretical exams.
Pilots can hold a licence and carry passengers from age 17.
George will look to follow in the footsteps of his many family members who have piloted aircraft throughout history.
His father William is a trained helicopter pilot who has flown for RAF Search and Rescue and East Anglia Air Ambulance, while his great-grandfather Prince Philip trained at the same Maidenhead airfield.
Phillip was 31 when he began his flying training at White Waltham in November 1952, before continuing in the North American Harvard.
At a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace in May 1953, the Duke of Edinburgh was awarded his ‘wings’ by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir William Dickson.
His sons William and Harry were both in the Army Cadet Corps at Eton College and did not get flying lessons until they were in the military.
William then started an intensive training programme with the RAF in 2009, learning how to fly fixed-wing aircrafts and helicopters at the age of 27.
William and Harry were both in the Army Cadet Corps at Eton College and did not get flying lessons until they were in the military
In May, King Charles handed over the role of colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps to William
Prince William revealed he ‘would love’ to fly helicopters again during a visit to the Wales Air Ambulance headquarters today in Llanelli, South Wales
William is pictured in 1999 leaning against a helicopter during a visit to the Army Air Corps
William is pictured at the controls of a Sea King helicopter during a training exercise at Holyhead Mountain, having flown from RAF Valley in Anglesey, north Wales, on March 31, 2011
He completed his training as a helicopter pilot in the RAF Search and Rescue Force back in 2010, later flying an air ambulance for two years before stepping down to take on more royal roles on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.
He was known as Flight Lieutenant Wales when he served with the RAF in Angelsey, North Wales.
During his three-year tour, he took part in 156 search and rescue operations – during which 149 people were rescued.
William has in the past flown his family around on helicopters, such as taking them to the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Earlier this week, William revealed he ‘would love’ to fly helicopters again during a visit to the Wales Air Ambulance headquarters today in Llanelli, South Wales.
He revealed there were plans in the pipeline to fly with the Wales Air Ambulance from its base in Cardiff Bay.
He said: ‘I’d love to fly again, I could volunteer for a weekend to make a come back.’
In May this year, William took to the skies in an Apache helicopter after being crowned the leader of his brother’s former Army regiment by King Charles.
Prince Harry qualified as an Apache helicopter commander in 2013, after three years of training.
If Harry and Meghan had not stepped down as working royals in 2020, the appointment as Colonel-in-Chief would likely have been his.
