A file photo of Prince William at RAF's Cranwell School in Lincolnshire during his RAF training. Photo Credit: Solar Pix / PR PhotosApril 30, 2008 (Sawf News) - Prince William flew a 30 hour round trip to and back from Afghanistan in a C17 Globmaster troop carrier. He spent 3 hours at Kandahar airbase, interacting with RAF personnel, and three hours at Al Udeid, Qatar.
"The visit aimed to put into context his training over the last four months," a spokesman for the prince said in a statement Wednesday, reports People.
"He [got] a feel for out-of-area operations ... He met personnel from a number of units, giving them the opportunity to explain their experiences."
The 25-year-old prince, second in line to the thrown, is nearing the end of his 4 month deployment with the RAF, during which he first learnt basic flying and then trained to fly helicopters.
William recently drew the ire of the British press and people when he landed a Chinook helicopter in a field behind the home of his girlfriend, Kate Middleton. Any other RAF helicopter pilot doing so would have been grounded for a very long time.
A spokesman for the Prince denied that the flight to Afghanistan was a damage control exercise.
"Prince William joining a flight into operational theatre was under consideration last year," he said in a statement. "Confirmation and detailed planning for the flights began at the beginning of April."
William will tour with the Royal Navy for two months.
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