Prince William Pays Private Visit to Helicopter Hub After Admitting He Misses Flying: Reports
The Prince of Wales checked out a helicopter connected to support for London’s Air Ambulance Charity
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Prince William quietly visited a new helicopter hub after revealing that he’s pining for the skies.
According to multiple reports, the Prince of Wales, 42, privately appeared at the opening of the Airbus Helicopters headquarters at London’s Oxford Airport on Sept. 13. The airport is about two hours from Windsor, where William lives with wife Kate Middleton and their children, and the outing came a few days after the former air ambulance helicopter pilot said he’d “love to fly again.”
Last Friday, Prince William popped by the unveiling of Airbus’ new $66 million headquarters and factory — and surprised guests in attendance, the BBC reported. The new base can accommodate 250 staffers and 32 helicopters, and the Prince of Wales got to see a new Airbus H135 helicopter, which will join the London Air Ambulance Charity’s fleet in October.
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“It is understood that he was invited by Airbus because of his connection with London Air Ambulance, of which he is patron,” The Telegraph said about William’s “low-key appearance” there, where he wore casual clothes, chatted with staff and checked out the tail rotor of another helicopter. The outlet noted that the Airbus H135 is a new model of the helicopter the royal flew while working as a first responder for East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017, and seeing it in person may have been a full-circle moment.
At a gala dinner benefitting London’s Air Ambulance in February, the Prince of Wales voiced support for its fundraising apparel for two new Airbus H135 helicopters and celebrated the achievement of the goal as “fantastic news” in August.
“Fantastic news! This is going to have a life-saving impact,” William wrote on X over the summer, reposting the initial announcement from the charity he has backed as patron since 2020. “A huge thank you to everyone who donated,” he continued, signing the post “W” to indicate that the message came directly from him.
“The prince is an important figure in the British helicopter community, and it was a great pleasure to show him our new state-of-the-art production facilities,” Lenny Brown, managing director of Airbus Helicopters in the UK, said of the Sept. 13 visit, according to Hello!.
Prince William earned his Royal Air Force (RAF) wings from his father King Charles at RAF Cranwell in 2008 after completing a 12-week flying course, then worked as an RAF search and rescue pilot in Anglesey, Wales from 2010 to 2013, overlapping with his engagement and marriage to the future Princess Kate.
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The Prince of Wales left operational duties with the Armed Forces in September 2013, shortly after the birth of their first child, Prince George, now 11. He later retrained as an Air Ambulance Pilot and worked for East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017, later pivoting to embrace a full-time royal workload later that year.
While William has been known to privately fly in the years since, he mentioned missing air ambulance work while visiting Wales on Sept. 10.
“I’d love to fly again. I could volunteer for a weekend to make a comeback,” he said during a stop at the Wales Air Ambulance hub in Llanelli, South Wales last week, The Telegraph reported.
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The Prince of Wales’ past as a pilot may have inspired Prince George’s new hobby — flight lessons! On Sept. 12, The Sun reported that the young royal had his first flight last week on the final day of his summer vacation before returning to school with his siblings, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
Prince William and Princess Kate, 42, reportedly watched as their eldest son took to the air for just under an hour at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire, England, which is about 20 minutes from their home at Adelaide Cottage.
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The airfield is also where George’s late great-grandfather, Prince Philip, earned his RAF wings in 1953.
“He loved it. It’s the right time to start,” an onlooker told the outlet about George’s big day.
In July 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales took their three kids on a private family field trip to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, where George and Louis seemed especially excited as they explored at the world’s largest military air show.
