For years, the whispering of King Charles and his past adventures in aviation – tales of close calls, secret decisions and even an incident that almost cost him his life.
Some argue that a particular event at the age of 90 has led to a sudden and inexplicable decision to retreat from flying, while others believe that the story was more than officially reported. What did it really happen that day? And why did the future king give up something that he was so passionate about?
King Charles’s close incident of flight that made him stop flying
Traditionally, members of the British royal family, including the monarch, hold a military association or serve in the armed forces. King Charles is no exception, having served both in the Royal Air Force and in the Royal Navy, holding the title of commander of the army.
Like his father, Charles developed a passion for aviation and began to fly while studying at Cambridge University. Over the years, aircraft were piloted to fulfill their royal duties.
Philip Pinney, a former squadron leader who trained Charles, remembered his experience together:
“He had very relaxed access to flying.” He would ask for flights on weekends and joined us in the activities such as tourism and fishing during his training in Aberystwyth. He flew as much as possible – it was a fantastic experience. ”
Sir Richard Johns, Charles’s instructor at RAF College in Cranwell, shared similar admiration:
“He had natural abilities, quickly grabbed skills with intense focus and determination.” There was no way to fail. ”
However, the scary incident in 1994 changed everything.
The history of close calls
Throughout his life, Charles had several close calls. One such incident occurred in 1982, when he was present for the excavations of the ship Jindřich VIIII, Mary Rose, which sank in the battle for centuries earlier. Charles, fascinated by naval history, was an eager witness of the delicate recovery process.
“Diving in these conditions was like swimming in lens soup – you couldn’t see anything,” he later said.
Initially, there were plans to board the ship’s remnants, but security fears led to the elimination of the idea. In the shocking turnover of events, a massive crane named Tog Mor – Gaelic for a “big elevator” – captured, almost crushed the ruins. If Charles was in the planned position, the result could be catastrophic.
“The future King of England could die live on television,” revealed the Royal Engineer Jack Frost in Raising The Mary Rose: Lost Tapes.
Twelve years later, another scary experience strengthened Charles’s decision to give up flying.
The flight that ended his pilot days
In 1994, during a five-day official visit to Scotland, Charles was given the opportunity to land the Queen of the Flight Passengers at Islay Airport. However, as it approached the runway, the aircraft touched excessive speed. When a small track left, the pilot had to apply emergency braking to prevent the aircraft from slipping into the rough terrain.
Three tires went through the impact and the beam stopped only 60 feet from the 14 feet to the nearby stream.
“It wasn’t quite a crash – we just escaped from the end of the track.” Not something I would recommend, ”admitted Charles.
Squadron leader RAF Graham Laurie, flight pilot, explained:
“We didn’t realize that the main wheels were still slightly outside the ground when we landed, so when I took control, I couldn’t stop it from going out of the track.”
Although Charles was not accused of an incident, Laurie faced disciplinary consequences that influenced his career. The aircraft damage exceeded 1 million GBP.
About a year after the incident, Charles gave up his flying license. Although it has never been officially stated that this event was a reason, many believe that his decision played an important role.