Prince Harry's flying dreams

Apr 29, 2010, 12:02 GMT

Britain's Prince Harry is to become a Lynx or Apache helicopter pilot.

The royal is also likely to return to front line fighting in the next year as part of a regiment who fly the helicopters, whom he is expected to join in coming days after he is awarded his wings for completing his basic helicopter training.

An Army Air Corps source said: "Prince Harry is absolutely determined to return to the front line in Afghanistan and flying the Lynx will give him the best opportunity.

"But there will have to be proper risk assessment made for any future deployment as neither he nor the Army want to endanger the lives of fellow soldiers."

Harry last served in the Middle Eastern country from December 2007, when he went on a ten week deployment as a forward air controller, carrying out the highly skilled job of dropping bombs on the enemy.

The tour unfortunately had to be cut short when a US blogger revealed the classified information that the heir to the British throne was fighting in the country.

The 25-year-old royal, a lieutenant, joins the military elite as a helicopter pilot, with only 24 pilots finishing the £3 million Apache training every year.

If he opts to pilot an Apache, the prince will almost certainly be involved in close combat, whereas the Lynx helicopter - one of the fastest in the world - is most commonly used for reconnaissance missions.