'To see someone's face when you bring their mother or father back from the edge of death - it's quite powerful,' William opens up about his role as helicopter rescue hero
He may be second line to the throne,
but Prince William has described his job as a search and rescue pilot as
his greatest calling in life.
The Duke of Cambridge has spoken movingly about the emotions of saving lives as an RAF helicopter pilot in never-before-seen footage of him on duty.
Documentary Helicopter Rescue, which is being broadcast tonight, captures footage of Prince William performing daring missions as a Search and Rescue captain in some of the country's most inhospitable regions.
Scroll down for trailer
Flt Lt Wales as he is known in
the RAF, who lost his own mother in 1997, said: 'There's no greater
feeling than when you've actually done some good and saved someone's
life.
'I don't think there's any greater calling in life… to be able to see a son or daughter's face when you bring their mother or father back from the edge of death - it's quite powerful.'
The Duke as been serving with C Flight of 22 Squadron at RAF Valley on Anglesey since 2010.
One of the rescues featured in the documentary which airs tonight on at 10.35pm on BBC 1, sees William take control of his Sea King helicopter during a difficult mission to save a young boy who has fallen dangerously off an old railway bridge onto rocks at old quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Describing the moment a life and death mission comes in, William said: 'As captain you're trying to play out the entire rescue, the transit to the rescue and back again in your mind, and pick up any circumstances or problems you can foresee, and try and fix them on the ground before you get airborne.'
The documentary also catches action and ethos of the other crew members around the prince on Anglesey, and at RMB Chivenor in Devon.
Winchman and paramedic Master Aircrewman Richard Taylor describes just how treacherous rescue work can be, as a decision is made that they should winch a casualty on board the helicopter on a stretcher.
He said: 'It's a challenging procedure,' adding: 'and inherently dangerous to put a man on a very thin piece of wire, hanging underneath nine tons of helicopter that's susceptible to turbulence and problems itself, and may have to fly away.'
Last year, the two RAF search
and rescue bases covering Wales were scrambled 566 times, making them
the busiest in Britain, with more than 470 people being rescued.
As well as footage of rescues, the programmes feature interviews with crew members as they describe how they work in challenging conditions.
In one programme, winchman Sergeant Ed Griffiths, from Nefyn in Gwynedd, puts his life on the line as he battles atrocious conditions to rescue four students stuck on a ledge in deep snow on the peak of Tryfan in the Ogwen Valley.
'You do get scared at times,' Sgt Griffiths admits.
'It was one of the trickier rescues that I've done. They were icy, snowy conditions - ice with fresh snow packed on top.
'We didn't have the option of escaping into the cloud because the helicopter would have just frozen up and potentially dropped out of the sky.'
The Duke of Cambridge has spoken movingly about the emotions of saving lives as an RAF helicopter pilot in never-before-seen footage of him on duty.
Documentary Helicopter Rescue, which is being broadcast tonight, captures footage of Prince William performing daring missions as a Search and Rescue captain in some of the country's most inhospitable regions.
Scroll down for trailer
In the pilot's seat: Prince William sitts behind
the controls of a Royal Air Force Sea King helicopter at RAF Valley in
Anglesey, as qualified as a Search And Rescue Operational Captain. (File
photo)
'I don't think there's any greater calling in life… to be able to see a son or daughter's face when you bring their mother or father back from the edge of death - it's quite powerful.'
Flight checks: The Duke of Cambridge heroics as a Search and Rescue pilot are to feature in a BBC documentary airing tonight
One of the rescues featured in the documentary which airs tonight on at 10.35pm on BBC 1, sees William take control of his Sea King helicopter during a difficult mission to save a young boy who has fallen dangerously off an old railway bridge onto rocks at old quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Describing the moment a life and death mission comes in, William said: 'As captain you're trying to play out the entire rescue, the transit to the rescue and back again in your mind, and pick up any circumstances or problems you can foresee, and try and fix them on the ground before you get airborne.'
The documentary also catches action and ethos of the other crew members around the prince on Anglesey, and at RMB Chivenor in Devon.
Winchman and paramedic Master Aircrewman Richard Taylor describes just how treacherous rescue work can be, as a decision is made that they should winch a casualty on board the helicopter on a stretcher.
He said: 'It's a challenging procedure,' adding: 'and inherently dangerous to put a man on a very thin piece of wire, hanging underneath nine tons of helicopter that's susceptible to turbulence and problems itself, and may have to fly away.'
Meticulous planning: Duke of Cambridge,
otherwise known as Flight lieutenant William, plans one of the many
lifesaving missions he will fly as a Search and Rescue pilot for the
RAF
'Greatest calling': Helicopter Rescue follows
the Duke of Cambridge as he flies life and death rescue missions from
his base in RAF Vally, Anglesey
Calling: Prince William, pictured with Catherine
Duchess of Cambridge during a service to commemorate the 60th
Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth, has told of his pride
at being a Search and Rescue pilot
As well as footage of rescues, the programmes feature interviews with crew members as they describe how they work in challenging conditions.
In one programme, winchman Sergeant Ed Griffiths, from Nefyn in Gwynedd, puts his life on the line as he battles atrocious conditions to rescue four students stuck on a ledge in deep snow on the peak of Tryfan in the Ogwen Valley.
'You do get scared at times,' Sgt Griffiths admits.
'It was one of the trickier rescues that I've done. They were icy, snowy conditions - ice with fresh snow packed on top.
'We didn't have the option of escaping into the cloud because the helicopter would have just frozen up and potentially dropped out of the sky.'
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