22/4/2008

Local News in Fleet

Chinook landing defended

Prince William with his girfriend Kate Middleton. Paul Ellis/PA Wire.

Defence officials have defended Prince William’s landing of an RAF Odiham Chinook in his girlfriend’s back garden.

They came under fierce criticism when it was revealed the prince was allowed to alter his training schedule so he could land the multi-million pound helicopter.

The prince sought permission from local police and 26-year-old Kate Middleton’s parents to put down briefly on their land in the Berkshire village of Bucklebury on the grounds that there is a shortage of landing sites in Hampshire.

Critics slammed the move as a waste of training hours on a helicopter that the military are hard-pressed to afford.

But in a statement, the Ministry of Defence said the sortie had been fully authorised as part of the prince’s attachment to the RAF.

It said that battlefield helicopter crews routinely practise landing in fields and confined spaces away from airfields as part of their training for conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

The statement added: “The aircraft landed in the field, after taking all necessary safety precautions, and was on the ground for 20 seconds.

“No-one got on or off the aircraft.

“This was very much a routine training sortie that achieved essential training objectives.”

There was further controversy when it was revealed the prince used a Chinook from RAF Odiham to fly to his cousin Peter Phillips’ stag party on the Isle of Wight.

He put down briefly at Woolwich Barracks in South East London to pick up his brother Prince Harry before flying on to the Isle of Wight and landing at Bembridge Airport.

The helicopter’s co-pilot then took the aircraft back to RAF Odiham.

The trip saved the princes a six-hour journey by rush-hour clogged roads and a ferry.

Again, the MoD defended the move, saying the sortie had been authorised and the flight, over the capital and open water and on occasions at low level, helped him complete his flying training.

Odiham parish councillor Peter Fountain said he could see nothing wrong.

He added: “This was quite clearly built into his exercise so if he handed landed at his girlfriend’s house he would have had to land in Farmer Giles’ field.

“At the end of the day the parish council has a very good relationship with RAF Odiham and I really can’t see any problem with it.

“If it fits into his training exercise and there are certain criteria that have to be filled then that’s fine.”

Prince William graduated as an officer after ten months of training at Sandhurst Military Accademy in 2006.

He joined the Household Cavalry’s Blues and Royals and became a Flying Officer in April 2008 when he earned his wings at RAF Cranwell.

First printed in: Fleet News and Mail