Prince William Calls Flying His Happy Place During Visit To RAF Benson
Prince William shared a heartfelt reflection on his time as a Royal Air Force pilot, describing flying as his “happy place” during a recent visit to RAF Benson near Oxford. The Prince of Wales, who was joined by Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan, fondly recalled his “glory days” serving with the RAF Search and Rescue Force and spoke warmly about his ongoing love of aviation.
While chatting with former colleagues at the base, Prince William was asked if he still spends time in the cockpit. “I do still fly, yeah – I keep my hours going,” he said. “When you learn that skill set, you just don’t want it to go. I’ve definitely lost a lot of the skills I had, but I like to keep on top of my flying, keep doing it. And it’s my happy place, I love flying.”
The prince reminisced about his three-year service tour with the RAF Search and Rescue Force, during which he flew Sea King helicopters on life-saving missions. Based at RAF Valley in Anglesey, he completed 156 operations and helped rescue 149 people before leaving the armed forces in 2013.
Afterward, he served two years as a search and rescue helicopter pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, flying emergency medical missions before stepping down in 2017 to take on full-time royal duties, reports The Mirror
Reflecting on his military years, William said, “I miss the Search and Rescue – glory days. I miss the Sea King flying around because when I hear it, that noise, as it flies past… We had the US state visit the other day, seven aircraft flying over. Sea King comes in, I was like, ‘There she is,’ that noise went straight to my heart.”
During the visit, the prince and Crown Prince Hussein toured the RAF Benson base, which plays a vital role in supporting global operations. It is home to several squadrons, including No. 22 Squadron, which oversees operational testing and training, and No. 28 Squadron, responsible for Chinook aircrew conversion before deployment to the front line.
The two princes even joined technicians in performing maintenance work on a Chinook helicopter, tightening a nut on an oil reserve using a torque wrench. After hearing a satisfying click, William joked, “You will check before it goes back (into service), I don’t want to be responsible.”
Flight Lieutenant Steve Wilders, who once served alongside William, said it was “really nice to hear that he has carried on flying.” He added, “He made it sound as though he still enjoys it, and it’s a nice break from everyday pressures — getting up and flying away from everything.”