Prince Harry Arrives in California for Helicopter Pilot Training
The prince hopes to return to the fight in Afghanistan in April.
Oct. 8, 2011 — -- Prince Harry of Wales, the third in line to the British throne, arrived in America earlier this week to undergo training to prepare for what he reportedly hopes is a return to the fight in Afghanistan.
He is stationed at a naval air facility in El Centro, Calif.
"There's a lot of Cinderellas in El Centro looking forward for the opportunity to meet the prince," said El Centro mayor Efrain Silva.
Prince Harry, who is already an experienced helicopter pilot, will refine his skills on the Apache attack helicopter, doing life-like environmental training, live fire and tactical exercises.
"This dream is becoming closer and closer and we would expect him to deploy in Afghanistan as a fully fledged apache pilot somewhere possibly as early as April next year," said ABC News contributor Duncan Larcombe.
He will test fire missiles and rockets in the California desert, a location meant to simulate the scorching aridity of Afghanistan, in the final stage of a 16-month training program that British army pilots undergo to become Apache certified.
After completing the training, Harry, a British army captain, will be cleared for deployment.
His squadron is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan next year, according to reports in the British media.
The 26-year-old prince served in Afghanistan as an air traffic controller for 10 weeks in 2007-08, but had to be pulled from the field when it became public that he was there.
"He wanted to fly but most importantly he enjoys an anonymity up in the air," said ABC News royal correspondent Katie Nicholl in August. "He's not on the ground, he can't be identified, that famous mop of ginger hair can be hidden under a helmet. And he's up there free to fly."
Military service has been part of the royal lineage. Harry's Uncle Andrew flew choppers in the Falkland War, and his grandfather was a navy man during World War II.
Prince Harry has come to America as a single man, and the prince's arrival has not gone unnoticed.
"Of course he is Britain's favorite bachelor," said Nicholl. "Harry is said to have split up with Florence Brudenell-Bruce, very attractive upcoming actress and model who everyone knows as Flee over here. And she's an underwear model so if you have your sights set on Harry, you better bring your A-game."
ABC News' Tanya Rivero contributed to this report.
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