Joined the Royal Air Force

Prince William's association with the Royal Air Force (RAF) began in January 2008 when he started an intensive four-month training course with the RAF at Cranwell. This marked a significant phase in his military career, as he was already a commissioned officer in the British Army after graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2006. During his time at RAF Cranwell, Prince William trained as a pilot under the guidance of experienced RAF instructors. His training culminated in April 2008 when he completed his first solo flight in a RAF Tucano T1 aircraft, an achievement that mirrored a milestone reached by his grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. That same month, he was awarded his RAF wings by his father, Prince Charles, at a ceremony at Cranwell, signifying his successful completion of the training program. Following this, in 2009, Prince William transferred to the Royal Air Force full-time and began training to become a search and rescue pilot. He joined the RAF's Search and Rescue Force, completing his training at RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales. By 2010, he was an operational pilot with No. 22 Squadron, flying Sea King helicopters on rescue missions. Over the next few years, he played an active role in numerous life-saving operations, gaining real-world experience in emergency situations. Prince William’s time with the RAF ended in September 2013 when he left operational service to focus on royal duties and charity work. His experience as a pilot, however, later influenced his decision to work with the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017. Hashtags: #PrinceWilliam #RAF #RoyalAirForce #SearchAndRescue #BritishRoyals #MilitaryService #MomentsOfLife #MoofLife_Moment #MoofLife