'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

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'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#1 Post by FD2 » Wed Oct 12, 2022 4:33 am

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... alary.html

Wanted - a pilot for the King! Palace seeks new helicopter pilot for elite unit on 'competitive salary' and with experience of working with 'VVIPs'


The successful pilot or co-pilot will join The King's Helicopter Flight (TKHF)
The incoming candidate will be paid a 'competitive salary' and receive benefits
The helicopter is available for all senior royal and use of the Sikorsky S76 C


By Tom Scotson For Mailonline

Published: 03:30 AEDT, 12 October 2022 | Updated: 03:34 AEDT, 12 October 2022

Buckingham Palace is seeking a new helicopter pilot for an elite unite on a 'competitive salary' and with experience of working with 'VVIPs'.

The successful pilot or co-pilot will join the elite members of The King's Helicopter Flight (TKHF).

They will be based at RAF Odiham and be given benefits including a 15% employer contribution pension scheme and five weeks' annual leave.

The helicopter is available for all senior royal and use of the Sikorsky S76 C chopper for 179 Royal flights cost £906,000 in the last financial year.
The successful pilot or co-pilot will join the elite members of The King's Helicopter Flight (TKHF). (Pictured: King Charles leaving a helicopter)

'As a natural collaborator, you have excellent communication skills and are confident liaising with a wide range of people.'

Royal sources said the King is 'pretty allergic' to travelling by helicopter and will always 'raise an eyebrow' and objects when it is suggested.

King Charles took a charter plane and a helicopter for his trip to Belfast and around Northern Ireland in May 2021, at a cost of more than £29,600.

The new monarch and Queen Consort also flew by helicopter in July that year on their annual visit to Wales, with the bill coming to £15,920.

Royal sources said the King is 'pretty allergic' to travelling by helicopter and will always 'raise an eyebrow' and objects when it is suggested.

The King also took a helicopter trip for the 70-mile journey from London to RAF Brize Norton in November ahead of his official visit to Jordan and Egypt.

The advert said: 'The King's Helicopter Flight (TKHF) consists of a small team of pilots and ground support, providing the highest standard of helicopter service to Members of the Royal Family on official engagements.

'Joining the team, you will take on the role of either Co-Pilot or Pilot in Command, operating a Sikorsky S76 C++ helicopter.'


He managed to do very well when he was in the front seat in the Navy, so not happy in the back now? Remember it's the Daily Mail. I don't know what it''s 'competitive' with - offshore, onshore, company or whatever - but I think usually flying with the King and Queen Consort in the back, or the future kings and queens, deserves a little more dosh, however is one person's life worth more than another's? Your name might go down in history! Ex-A might know!

Two earlier incumbents and the son of a former squadron chum, when the Navy had some decent aircraft. Shiny shoes and a smart suit required.

Kidd Chandler Jnr & Pittaway r.jpg
Kidd Chandler Jnr & Pittaway r.jpg (95.73 KiB) Viewed 728 times

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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#2 Post by G-CPTN » Wed Oct 12, 2022 4:51 pm

How many pilots would there be on the King's Flight?
What happens if they 'run short'? Do they second pilots from the RAF or RN (or even Army or Coastguard)?

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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#3 Post by CharlieOneSix » Wed Oct 12, 2022 6:08 pm

Well, FD2 and I both had the type on our licences, as does Gordy. I flew King Hussein and King Constantine of Greece, would that count......but no chance now we're in our 70's......nor would I want that job. In my air taxi days it was bad enough having to ring CEO's etc at 0600 to tell them their 1000 trip was off due to weather at the destination factory, country house etc and they needed to go by car to get there for their appointments - I'd hate to have to phone early hours to cancel a TKHF flight.
G-CPTN wrote:
Wed Oct 12, 2022 4:51 pm
.....What happens if they 'run short'? Do they second pilots from the RAF or RN (or even Army or Coastguard)?
Military pilots would have to have civvy licences endorsed with the type so hardly likely.
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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#4 Post by G-CPTN » Wed Oct 12, 2022 6:14 pm

But wouldn't the KHF be something like 32 squadron?

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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#5 Post by FD2 » Wed Oct 12, 2022 6:27 pm

It used to be that they were selected from those two services to fly the Royal Flight's shiny Wessex. I only knew one, who used to be an instructor at Culdrose, and he had all the right qualifications and ability. I think the services used to be the only source because it was the Queen's Flight of the RAF.

With the privatised S76C (I think two of them in case one goes u/s) the services or former services might still be preferred though I'm sure any applicant will be very thoroughly screened and put through a battery of tests. There have been a few cases of pilots falsifying their records so best not to risk a shabby recruitment process. The Army and Coastguard would also be suitable, or even corporate, as long as the applicant had relevant experience on twins and the right IFR experience.

Agree with C16 - it would be harder to tell them the trip couldn't take place and Charles has been known to be a bit explosive in the temper department. No doubt everything would be passed through the private secretaries rather than direct to the royal personally! Many eyes are watching royal events so offshore flying was easier in that respect! The late Chris Pittaway in the photo told me that security is extremely strict around anything to do with the KFRH operations and that was over ten years ago so double up on that these days.

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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#6 Post by G-CPTN » Wed Oct 12, 2022 6:36 pm

Any pilot scheduled to fly the King would have to be reliable to an extreme degree - it just wouldn't be acceptable if they were accident-prone - even though Charles himself wasn't beyond reproach.

How many royals have lost their lives through aviation accidents?

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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#7 Post by FD2 » Wed Oct 12, 2022 6:49 pm

Prince George in Caithness in 1942 and Prince William of Gloucester in an air race https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal ... accidents/ I had forgotten about the latter but George was in a documentary I watched a few weeks ago about the War.

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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#8 Post by CharlieOneSix » Wed Oct 12, 2022 7:02 pm

FD2 wrote:
Wed Oct 12, 2022 6:27 pm
.......The late Chris Pittaway in the photo told me that security is extremely strict around anything to do with the KFRH operations and that was over ten years ago so double up on that these days.
I once diverted into Benson when I couldn't get through to Battersea heliport. I was escorted into the hangar where the shiny Wessex were kept and greeted by Chris Warne who was on my HSP course. Now a Lt/Cdr he was the RN representative there. Security was tight - I was escorted to and from the toilets - and watched whilst I had a pee!
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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#9 Post by FD2 » Wed Oct 12, 2022 7:26 pm

Bit hard to get 'started' I expect! :ymblushing:

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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#10 Post by Karearea » Wed Oct 12, 2022 7:27 pm

G-CPTN wrote:
Wed Oct 12, 2022 6:36 pm
... How many royals have lost their lives through aviation accidents?
Prince Pedro Luiz of Orléans-Bragança; met his death in the crash of Air France Flight 447.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Lui ... s-Braganza
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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#11 Post by G-CPTN » Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:50 pm


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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#12 Post by Ex-Ascot » Thu Oct 13, 2022 9:32 am

.... it was the Queen's Flight of the RAF.
Sorry FD2 have to correct that. The Queen's Flight was manned by Royal Air Force personnel but they were on secondment to The Royal Household. The boss (Wg Cdr) answered to The Captain of The Queen's Flight who was usually retired Air rank and was a member of The Royal Household. No interfering AOCs involved. The Station Commander of Benson was an ADC and a Deputy Captain of The Queen's Flight but not involved in the chain of command. Station parades or Tacevals no play thank you. Didn't even wear a black uniform tie. It was blue with an EIIR crest on it.

No disciplinary action on The Queen's Flight. You were detached to RAF Benson and charged there. Only knew one. A guy was selling the previous year's Christmas cards instead of the current ones and pocketing the dosh. He only went and did it to the boss. =))
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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#13 Post by FD2 » Thu Oct 13, 2022 7:02 pm

Thanks Ex-A.

So when you were flying royals around in your VC10 it was because they couldn't justify having such a large aircraft permanently allocated to the Royal Flight?

The only fixed wings I recall seeing in the Royal Flight colours were Andovers and BAe146s.

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Re: 'Competitive Rate of Pay' for King's Flight Pilot

#14 Post by Ex-Ascot » Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:40 am

FD2 wrote:
Thu Oct 13, 2022 7:02 pm
So when you were flying royals around in your VC10 it was because they couldn't justify having such a large aircraft permanently allocated to the Royal Flight?
Essentially yes. The Queen's Flight was mainly short haul. We would go all over the world but the principle pax would fly out BA to join us. If on a Royal tour many long sectors were involved we would use the VC10.
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