Top Gun! Prince Harry Completes Helicopter Attack Training—What's Next for the Royal?

Prince William's younger brother is awarded the Best Copilot Gunner Award after completing 18 months of intensive Apache Attack training with the British army

By Gina Serpe Feb 09, 2012 12:01 AMTags
Prince HarryCpl Joe Blogs/MoD

Mission accomplished. For real, this time.

While Prince William is just getting started on his RAF training down in the Falklands, bonnie Prince Harry has completed his grueling 18-month intensive Apache Attack Helicopter training course.

And he didn't just pass. He passed with, appropriately enough, rather high flying colors. Guess he's a lover and a fighter—and a highly trained one at that.

So what's next for the royal?

Well, first things first: Thanks to his year-and-a-half-long training, which included his Exercise Ginger Fox Crimson Eagle sojourn to the U.S. last year, Harry is now a fully operational Apache Attack Helicopter pilot, newly endowed with Limited Combat Ready status.

Not to mention, with a prize to be proud of (or at least to lord over his brother for a while).

Just last night, on the completion of his training, Harry was recognized as being the best Copilot Gunner during a celebratory dinner for the troops held at RAF Wattisham marking the end of their course.

The prize is awarded to the pilot whose overall performance during the training period was assessed as the best among their peers, and was based on the pilot's attitude, ability, gunnery skills, knowledge of the aircraft and its systems, performance on tactical abilities in live aircraft and simulations and overall grades. It's just the second time the award has been handed out.

So what's next for Harry? Other than climbing Everest, heading back to Afghanistan, helping out with the Olympics and globe-trotting in the name of his grandma.

More air time, basically.

The royal, along with the rest of his newly qualified pilots, will endeavor to gain more flying experience by getting assigned to an army squadron and beginning a new round of exercises, this time in pre-deployment training.

A prince's work is never done, eh? Way to go, Harry.