![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_Prince-of-Wales-And-The-Crown-Prince-of-Jordan-Visit-RAF-Benson.jpg\")
Prince William, Prince of Wales during a visit to RAF Benson today (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n‘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’Prince William, Prince of Wales during a visit to RAF Benson today (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Prince of Wales said flying is his \u201chappy place\u201d when he reminisced with old air force colleagues about the \u201cglory days\u201d of serving with the RAF Search and Rescue Force.<\/p>\n
William chatted about flying Sea King helicopters on rescue missions when he visited an RAF base with the Crown Prince of Jordan, and described how their sound still goes \u201cstraight to my heart\u201d.<\/p>\n
When he met former colleagues and others in the mess at RAF Benson near Oxford, he was asked if he still spent any time in the cockpit, and the prince replied, \u201cI do still fly, yeah – I keep my hours going. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhen you learn that skill set, you just don\u2019t want it to go. I\u2019ve definitely lost a lot of the skills I had, but I like to keep on top of my flying, keep doing it.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it\u2019s my happy place, I love flying.\u201d The future King served a three-year tour with the Search and Rescue Force and, during his time based at RAF Valley<\/a> in Anglesey<\/a>, carried out 156 search and rescue operations resulting in 149 people being rescued, before he left the Armed Forces in 2013.<\/p>\n He later served as a helicopter pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, flying missions for two years before stepping down in July 2017 to focus on his royal duties.<\/p>\n The prince told the group: \u201cI 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.<\/p>\n “We had obviously the US state visit the other day seven aircraft flying over. Sea King comes in, I was like \u2018there she is\u2019 that noise went straight to my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n RAF Benson is home to a number of squadrons including 28 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, a unit training aircrew to fly Chinook helicopters, and William and Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II helped the technicians with maintenance work.<\/p>\n The future monarchs helped tighten a nut on an oil reserve for a rotorhead \u2013 the large assembly a Chinook\u2019s rotor blades are connected to on top of the aircraft \u2013 using a torque wrench.<\/p>\n After the wrench made a satisfying click, William joked: \u201cYou will check before it goes back (into service), I don\u2019t want to be responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n The two princes later had a private briefing about undisclosed matters. Flight Lieutenant Steve Wilders, a Chinook instructor, served alongside the prince in search and rescue at RAF Valley and later once piloted a royal helicopter carrying William.<\/p>\n After speaking to William in the mess, he said: \u201cIt was really nice to hear that he has carried on flying – he\u2019s still a pilot. He made it sound as though he still enjoys it and it\u2019s a nice break from the everyday pressures I suppose, getting up and flying away from everything.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Pilot](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_Prince-William-Training-Exercise.jpg\")
Prince William on Anglesey in a Sea King helicopter (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1760585598_769_0_Prince-of-Wales-And-The-Crown-Prince-of-Jordan-Visit-RAF-Benson.jpg\")
Prince William, Prince of Wales meets aircrew and staff(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n