Wills takes to the skies with RAF

Prince William is to learn to fly planes as he joins the RAF on attachment in preparation for eventually becoming head of the Armed Forces in Britain. He is to wear an Airforce uniform, and be known as Flying Officer William Wales. The Prince will remain under the command of his Army regiment, the Household Cavalry.

The 25-year-old Prince will spend four months learning how to fly at Cranwell (pictured), the RAF's elite training school in Lincolnshire, where the average cost of training is £390,000. During the week he will be parted from girlfriend Kate Middleton as he is expected to bunk down with the other trainees and eat at the officers' mess. Group Captain Nick Seward said: "The idea of him coming for a four-month attachment is to prepare him for his future as head of the armed forces. It's important that he sees our ethos, our history and how we differ from the Army."

Prince William will begin his pilot's training on Monday, learning to fly a propeller-driven Grob 115E light aircraft, known as the Tutor. He'll then move on to RAF Linton-on-Ouse, in North Yorkshire, where he will get to grips with the faster Tucano T1 plane and finally progress to RAF Shawbury in Shropshire to fly the Squirrel helicopter. (Continued below)

William's father, Prince Charles, is a graduate of Cranwell, where he trained in 1971. In early summer, William will complete a final attachment to the Royal Navy.