Prince William revealed he misses the "glory days" of his search-and-rescue career during an emotional visit to RAF Benson in Oxfordshire on Wednesday. The Prince of Wales was joined by Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II of Jordan for the joint engagement, where both pilots reminisced about their military flying experiences.
The 43-year-old prince served with RAF Search and Rescue from 2009 to 2013, before joining the East Anglian Air Ambulance from March 2015 until July 2017. According to the Daily Telegraph, William described the transition: "I left and went straight into the Air Ambulance afterwards and did three years or so there and... it sort of merged into one big flying trip."
Impressive rescue record
During his RAF Valley service in Anglesey, North Wales, William carried out 156 search and rescue operations that resulted in 149 people being rescued. His emotional connection to aviation was evident when he recalled hearing Sea King helicopters during US President Donald Trump's state visit last month.
William said: "Seven aircraft were flying over and Sea King comes in and I was like 'there she is' - that noise went straight to my heart, it was a great sound."
Flying remains his passion
The prince admitted that piloting aircraft remains his "happy place" and he continues to maintain his flying hours. William said: "I do still fly - I keep my hours going because, when you learn that skill set, you just don't want it to go."
He acknowledged losing some skills over time but emphasised his commitment to staying current: "I've definitely lost a lot of the skills I had, but I like to just keep on top of flying and keep doing it."
Hands-on military engagement
During their visit, both princes met trainee aircrew from No. 28 Squadron and No. 22 Squadron - units William served with during his RAF Valley days. They participated in maintenance work on a Chinook helicopter's main rotorhead, with William joking that someone would come to "check" the Crown Prince's work.
Flight Lieutenant Steve Wilders, who served alongside William and later piloted royal helicopters, provided insight into the prince's continued aviation involvement. The two princes flew to the engagement by helicopter from Windsor Castle, highlighting their shared passion for aviation and mutual respect for the Armed Forces.
Sources used: "Daily Telegraph", "MyLondon", "Express", "WalesOnline" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.