The former Prince of Wales, now King Charles, touching down in a Chipmunk
The Royal Chipmunk, WP903, was manufactured in 1952 by DeHavilland and was used to train His Majesty the King to fly.
The Chipmunk is a tandem, two-seat, single-engined primary trainer aircraft which was the standard primary trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force and nineteen other air forces through much of the post-Second World War years.
It was built in 1952 and served with the RAF Queen's Flight hence the unique Dayglo Red colour scheme and warning lamp (the 'Parrot'), which was a specific modification for its Royal service.
Reassigned back to the Queen's Flight in July 1969 it was used to teach Prince Charles, by his own instructor Sqn Ldr Philip Pinney, who flew a total of 101 flights. Starting training at RAF Tangmere, the then Prince of Wales went on to fly his first solo flight at RAF Bassingbourn on January 14, 1969, followed by the award of his Private Pilots Licence in March 1969 and his RAF Preliminary Flying Badge on 2nd August.
The Chipmunk is a tandem, two-seat, single-engined primary trainer aircraft which was the standard primary trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force and nineteen other air forces through much of the post-Second World War years.
It was built in 1952 and served with the RAF Queen's Flight hence the unique Dayglo Red colour scheme and warning lamp (the 'Parrot'), which was a specific modification for its Royal service.
Reassigned back to the Queen's Flight in July 1969 it was used to teach Prince Charles, by his own instructor Sqn Ldr Philip Pinney, who flew a total of 101 flights. Starting training at RAF Tangmere, the then Prince of Wales went on to fly his first solo flight at RAF Bassingbourn on January 14, 1969, followed by the award of his Private Pilots Licence in March 1969 and his RAF Preliminary Flying Badge on 2nd August.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Out on the airfield, the first of the royal guests, the Prince of Wales, touches down
00:07in his chipmunk to be welcomed by Air Marshal Maver, the Commander-in-Chief Training Command
00:12and the Station Commander, Group Captain Mugford.
00:15Later, after changing from his flying kit, the Prince, accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant,
00:20the Duke of Beaufort, the Secretary of State for Air, Lord Winterbottom, the Commander-in-Chief
00:25and
00:26.
00:27.