Harry takes to skies for air show

Prince Harry, left, with the rest of the Army Air Corps Apache Attack Helicopter Display Team
9 June 2013

Prince Harry has been wowing the crowds as part of an Army attack helicopter display team.

Harry, known as Captain Wales in the Army, was part of the Apache Attack Helicopter Display Team (AHDT) among the aircraft at the RAF Cosford Air Show in Shropshire.

The 28-year-old, a co-pilot gunner, serves with the RAF's 662 Squadron of the Army Air Corps (AAC) from which the display crew-members have been selected this year.

The Cosford Air Show attracts thousands of people annually with aerial demonstrations including this year the Red Arrows, RAF Chinook transport helicopters, and the RAF Falcons parachute display team.

Harry was among crew selected given his experience in the deadly Apache helicopter, which has seen combat most recently in Libya and Afghanistan.

Lieutenant Colonel Tim de la Rue, commanding officer of 3 Regiment AAC - part of helicopter attack force in 16 Air Assault Brigade - with responsibility for the display team, said Harry had been "delighted" to have been selected as part of the display team for the summer.

"The display team, unlike some other display teams, is not a permanent assignment; rather it is drawn from a pool of suitably qualified and experienced, operationally ready, Apache aircrew and ground crew, and uses aircraft drawn from the operational Apache Squadrons," added Lt Col de la Rue.

Harry returned to the UK in January, following a five-month tour in Afghanistan co-piloting an Apache.

Lt Col de la Rue said: "This year the pool of display aircrew have been drawn from 662 Squadron AAC which has recently returned from a very successful operational tour of Afghanistan."

The Apache team performs manoeuvres in the helicopter, rather than aerobatics like the Red Arrows team.

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