Royal Visit: Prince William met families and staff at RAF Coningsby
He visited the base earlier today
Prince William met families and staff when he visited RAF Coningsby this afternoon.
The former RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot arrived by helicopter and was greeted by Group Captain Billy Cooper, commander of the base.
On meeting the His Royal Highness, he said:
"It's obviously very exciting seeing the helicopter come in and having not met the Prince of Wales before you're never quite sure how the meeting's going to go.
"But he's obviously a very charming and personable man so we've had a fantastic day".
Squadron leader Kirsty Fordham also met the Prince William:
"As the Prince arrived, we had the opportunity to talk to him both in his royal role but also as a professional pilot.
"It was great to introduce the squadron to him - explain all the changes we've gone through this year. But also for him to sit down with a controller and talk pilot to controller about what you can see on a radar screen so he can see it from a different perspective as well."
Prince William found himself hugged, posing for selfies and was even quizzed about who he wanted to win I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! during a visit to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.
The future king chatted to a group of military families from the base.
William found himself talking football with twins Abi and Steph Boland, who were left ecstatic when he posed for a video selfie with the 10-year-olds, fans of the prince's beloved Aston Villa team.
Steph Boland said: "He said we've got a good team and we'll 'have it' next season."
Corporal Rachael Howes chatted to William when he met RAF personnel from the base involved in sport as he opened the RAF Coningsby new boxing club.
Cpl Howes, who plays in the Coningsby's women's team, put the prince on the spot about the reality show I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! when she said: "I asked him who he wanted to win, Lioness Jill Scott or his relative Mike Tindall."
The prince smiled and was overheard saying: "That's a tricky one," but diplomatically did not pick a winner.
Earlier, William was given a glimpse of the future when he donned a pair of virtually reality goggles being designed to improve fighter jet maintenance.
The prince was show an array of innovative products under development to help technicians keep the planes airworthy at RAF Coningsby.
In a huge hanger used to maintain Typhoon jets used by two squadrons based at Coningsby, the future king chatted to RAF technicians and their BAE Systems counterparts.
William laughed as he turned down the opportunity to wear an exoskeleton that can help ground crew with repetitive and tiring tasks, but put on the goggles.
He said: "It's weird" as he prodded a damaged cylindrical shape in cyber space, representing a mock section of fuselage, then added "very clever".