On Tuesday, July 9, the Prince of Wales, 42, was photographed visiting RAF Valley on rainy Anglesey for the first time as the Royal Honorary Air Commodore of the Royal Air Force station.
In August 2023 he was appointed Air Commodore by King Charles.
It was a return to a familiar place for Prince William, as it is where he worked before marrying Kate Middleton.
The prince was stationed at RAF Valley while working as an RAF search and rescue pilot from 2010 to 2013.
RAF Valley is the only Royal Air Force station in Wales and home to No. 4 Flying Training School, which is responsible for training the next generation of fighter pilots, as well as preparing aircrews for mountain and maritime operations around the world.
Prince William returns to RAF Valley in Wales
During his visit, the Prince of Wales toured the center and met with staff to learn more about its daily operations and life at RAF Valley, which is the second largest employer on the island.
William started at the Air Traffic Control Tower, where he checked out the control rooms.
He then moved on to the fire and rescue station, where he met crew members and participated in a simulated fire response exercise.
William sat in the passenger seat of a fire truck and operated a water pump to extinguish a fire.
The heir to the throne spent time with engineers, flying instructors and trainees before presenting the Prince of Wales Award.
This annual award recognizes the most outstanding Qualified Flight Instructor within No. 4, and this year it went to Flight Lieutenant Jake Fleming.
In a key meeting, Prince William met with members of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service, which is on constant standby for search and rescue support, aircraft incident and accident management and medical aid in the mountains.
William began his air career in the military in 2009, joining C Flight, 22 Squadron as a Lieutenant Wales (a nod to King Charles’ then title of Prince of Wales, which William now holds) at RAF Valley in September 2010.
He served as a search and rescue pilot for three years, during which time he conducted 156 search and rescue operations, a routine operational deployment to the Falkland Islands and qualified as an operational Captain, according to his royal biography.
The Prince of Wales left operational roles with the Armed Forces in September 2013, shortly after the birth of his first child, Prince George.
He subsequently trained as an Air Ambulance Pilot and worked for the East Anglia Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017.
Prince William stepped out alone for his latest engagement in Wales, as Princess Kate, 42, prioritizes her health privately out of the spotlight.
During Prince William’s visit to the Royal Air Force station in Wales, where he previously worked, he received an emotional gift.
The Prince of Wales met with his former instructor and drank tea from a mug that appeared to be adorned with the XXV Fighter Squadron logo and had “HRH Prince of Wales” written on it, the title he currently holds.
While William was at RAF Anglesey in 2013, he wore a mug emblazoned with Royal Air Force wings and reading “Big Willy,” an affectionate nickname Kate Middleton had given him.