Prince William 'may become flight instructor'

13 August 2012

Prince William is considering become a military flying instructor once his tour as a Search and Rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force comes to an end, it has been reported.

The Prince, whose brother Prince Harry completed his Conversion-to-Role training as a co-pilot gunner on the Apache attack helicopter in February, will have to make his decision this autumn, according to an article in The Daily Telegraph.

Becoming an instructor could give him the flexibility to carry out royal duties while maintaining an active role in the military, where he is currently a member of the RAF's Number 22 Squadron at RAF Valley in Anglesey.

"As long as his flying reports are good enough, he could train helicopter pilots," a 'senior RAF officer' told the Telegraph. "This would keep his flying time up and give him more flexibility for royal duties."

In May, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, said that balancing his military and royal commitments had "proven quite difficult".

A St James's Palace spokesman says: "The Duke's current tour of duty with the Search and Rescue Force is due to end mid-2013. The options he has are: undertake another tour with the Search and Rescue force; undertake alternative duties within another area of the armed forces; or undertake full-time royal duties."