The unannounced appearance by the Prince of Wales, a former helicopter pilot, was in a private capacity. Dressed casually in a blue jumper, the father-of-three engaged with staff informally as he was shown around the new Airbus H135, which is set to serve London Air Ambulance.
The aircraft is an updated version of the model William flew during his two-year stint as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance from March 2015 to July 2017. William also previously served as a RAF search and rescue pilot and is a patron of London Air Ambulance.
Lenny Brown, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in the UK, expressed his gratitude for the prince’s visit, saying, “We very much appreciate His Royal Highness’s attendance at the opening of our new HQ. The prince is a significant figure in the British helicopter community, and it was a great pleasure to show him our new state-of-the-art production facilities.”
Prince William has always had a passion for aviation, which he has passed on to his eldest son, Prince George. The 11-year-old reportedly had his first flying lesson with an instructor at White Waltham Airfield near Maidenhead, while his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, watched from the ground.
According to The Sun, George enjoyed an hour-long lesson on the last day of his summer holidays before the family relaxed at the airfield’s clubhouse.
Aviation runs in the family, as George’s great-grandfather, Prince Philip, began his flying training at White Waltham in 1952, receiving his Royal Air Force wings in 1953.
Prince William started his own training as a Search and Rescue Pilot in 2009, serving at RAF Valley in Anglesey in 2010 and later retraining as an Air Ambulance Pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
During a recent visit to Wales Air Ambulance headquarters in Llanelli, William shared his continued love for flying, saying, “I can’t stop talking about helicopters and medical kits and all sorts. I miss it all. I’m quite keen to stay a bit longer. I’m thinking I might come back for a weekend at some point.” He also mentioned a prior promise to the Cardiff team to return and join them for a visit.
