Prince Harry passes Army Air Corps 'Grading'
Published 11 December 2008
Prince Harry has passed his Army Air Corps ‘Grading’ and Pilot’s Selection Board interview and will begin training to become an Army Air Corps (AAC) pilot in January 2009.
The four-week ‘Grading’ course at Middle Wallop in Hampshire is designed to assess an applicant’s suitability for service as a pilot with the Army Air Corps.
Prince Harry flew 13 hours with an instructor in a Slingsby T67 single engine light aircraft, over a period of three weeks. The assessment did not require him to fly solo. Grading assessed his aptitude for Army flying training and his ability to learn at the required rate.
The Army Air Corps course on which Prince Harry will now embark lasts up to two and half years.
The first part of the course – known as the Army Pilot’s Course – will last approximately until Spring 2010. Only after successful completion of the course will Prince Harry begin training for a specific aircraft type: Gazelle, Lynx or Apache. The aircraft type determines the length of the course thereafter.
If Prince Harry qualifies as an Army Air Corps pilot, he will, like any officer, be available for operational service wherever the AAC flies.
The Prince will train with the AAC on attachment from the Blues and Royals (one of the two Regiments of the Household Cavalry).
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