Princess Charlotte Flew to Commonwealth Games by Helicopter — with Prince William as the Pilot!
Princess Charlotte is dad's little co-pilot!
Kate Middleton and Prince William took their 7-year-old daughter to the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday, but the fun started before their arrival. Prince William traveled to the event by helicopter, which he flew himself, with Princess Charlotte coming along for the ride.
Footage shows Prince William, 40, landing the Bell 429 "GlobalRanger" helicopter in Birmingham. His daughter can be seen in the backseat, excitedly waving as a car pulls up alongside the aircraft. Charlotte was likely greeting mom Kate, who traveled there by train.
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Prince William previously worked as an air ambulance helicopter pilot after serving as an Royal Air Force Search and Rescue pilot. It's believed that he continues flying to rack up hours in the air in order to keep his pilot license.
Karwai Tang/WireImage Prince William and Princess Charlotte
He's already passing on his interest in flying to his children, including his eldest son Prince George. During a 2016 outing to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF (Royal Air Force) Fairford, Prince George wore noise-canceling headphones as he took in the planes and helicopters.
Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince George and Prince William
Prince George, now 9, also excitedly toured the inside of a helicopter during a 2017 visit to Germany.
Kate said last year that her three kids had inherited a passion for all things aviation. "She did mention that her children are very interested in aircraft," Loadmaster Sergeant Mark Curtis told PEOPLE.
Although Prince William is a very capable pilot, it's reportedly a cause of concern for Queen Elizabeth. It's especially worrisome when he travels by helicopter with his three children, who follow Prince William in the line of succession to the throne.
JOHN STILLWELL/AFP via Getty Prince William
While Prince William and Princess Charlotte arrived by helicopter, Kate took a train, where she casually chatted with a young fellow passenger. Journalist Matthew Syed wrote for The Times that Kate had started up a conversation with his son while he used the bathroom.
"As I am doing my thing, I hear him talking to a woman in the vestibule," Syed said. " 'Are you here alone?' she asks. 'No, my dad is in there,' he says, pointing to the lavatory."
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Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte and Prince William
Syed continued that Kate, 40, and his son were "having a whale of a time" as they continued chatting and laughing.
" 'Come on Ted,' I say, 'We have to get off! Oh, and thanks for keeping him company . . . ' I say turning to the woman waiting her turn when I am stopped in my tracks. My brow furrows, my face works. 'Kate?' I blurt out," he recalled. "There are no security guards in the vestibule; no armed guards. But here is the Duchess of Cambridge, chatting merrily with my son."
Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty Images Prince William, Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton
Princess Charlotte's day at the Commonwealth Games — her first solo outing with her parents —included showing off her royal handshake, intently watching a swim meet and enthusiastically cheering for the gymnastics competition, which she revealed is her favorite sport.
The Commonwealth Games marked the second big sporting event Charlotte has cheered on in recent days. Queen Elizabeth's great-granddaughter joined dad William to issue a special message of good luck to the England Women's soccer team on Sunday, ahead of their Women's Euro 2022 final win against Germany.
