Princess of Wales visits RNAS Yeovilton air base
Kate, who is Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, met Air Traffic Control staff before testing her skills on a flight simulator on her special visit
Last updated 18th Sep 2023
The Princess of Wales has been in the West Country today - speaking to staff at the Royal Navy base and having a go on a flight simulator, at the very place where King Charles III received his helicopter training.
She has arrived at RNAS Yeovilton to speak with some of the servicemen and women as part of her role, having just been made the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm.
This role, mainly a ceremonial one, affirms the bond between the Armed Forces and the Royal Family.
In her honourary role, Princess Kate is invited as the guest of honour at major ceremonial occasions and events, as well as being kept abreast of developments and actions of the world of naval aviation.
The Princess of Wales arrived at the air base this morning by helicopter, before being shown around the Yeovilton site - which is one of the busiest military airfields in the UK.
She spent time in the air traffic control tower to meet staff and speak to an airborne Wildcat helicopter crew before conducting training exercises in a hangar with survival equipment technicians, who allow aircrew to operate safely.
She was then shown a Merlin Mk4 helicopter, deployed by the Royal Marines globally to provide disaster relief, as well as a Merlin MK2, which is used to hunt for submarines, before trying her hand at flying a Wildcat MK2 in a simulator.
This piece of kit allows aircrew to practice flying over land or on to ships.
The maritime attack helicopter is designed to operate from the frigates and destroyers of the Royal Navy.
Princess Kate's visit has a lot of deep royal connections, too, as King Charles attended the air station for helicopter flying training in 1974.
More than 4,000 personnel are employed on the site, which is home to a number of frontline squadrons and training units.