at RNZAF Wigram and then “boarded a ship to sail via Pitcairn Island, Panama, and Curacao to my new life in England”. Two years later, another College Old Boy, Ian Dick, came to Cranwell and subsequently flew with – and led – the Red Arrow aerobatic team. Although neither Philip nor Ian became Air Marshals, Philip acknowledges that both have had “unusual and fascinating RAF careers”. Philip had two operational flying tours in the low-level strike/attack role during the Cold War. The first was on a Canberra Squadron in RAF Germany. “At 21 – before I had voted in a general election – I was on alert as captain of an armed nuclear bomber, ready to launch within 15 minutes to cross the Warsaw Pact border and hit a pre-planned
target. It was an experience that shaped the rest of my career.” When not on alert, Philip flew the Canberra on more conventional roles throughout Western Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Philip then became a flying instructor at Cranwell and the Central Flying School for two years before being selected to teach The Prince of Wales – now King Charles III – to fly. Philip was HRH’s personal flying instructor through his university years from 1968–1970. “The RAF wanted a flying instructor with Welsh origins and name. I failed on both counts but was still chosen as I was a Kiwi,” Philip explains. For the first year, mostly flying from bases near Cambridge and Aberystwyth universities, Philip taught Prince Charles to fly the
single-engine Chipmunk aircraft. Then, after HRH had earned his RAF Preliminary Flying Badge (university student wings) and Private Pilot’s Licence, Philip converted him onto a twin-engine Basset aircraft. Over the next 18 months, Prince Charles mastered the additional challenges, earned his instrument rating, and flew to and from many official engagements in the United Kingdom and Europe. The pinnacle of Philip’s flying career was his second operational tour. He commanded 208 Squadron flying Buccaneer fighter-bombers, based in England and assigned to fight in Arctic Norway. They became the first RAF fast jet squadron to deploy to North America and the first foreign squadron to take part in the Red Flag air combat
Prince Charles undergoing instruction from Philip Pinney at Tangmere in August 1968.
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