Prince William's Search-And-Rescue Helicopter Has A New Life No One Expected

After Prince William graduated with a geography degree from the University of St. Andrews, where he began his relationship with now wife Kate Middleton, he went on to become the fourth generation royal to become a Royal Air Force pilot, via Reuters. Trained to fly helicopters, Prince William went on to get certified as a search and rescue pilot. Upon completing the course, he said it "has been challenging, but I have enjoyed it immensely. I absolutely love flying," via the royal family's website.

He didn't just get the certification as bragging rights — the Duke of Cambridge was a part of 156 search and rescue operations in his three years with the Royal Air Force, per The Guardian. He was known as Flight Lieutenant Wales, and one operation that made headlines was when he helped rescue a teenager at risk of drowning, via CNN. While with RAF Search and Rescue, Prince William flew Sea King helicopters, per Air Med and Rescue. And while he's no longer flying search and rescue missions — though he is worrying Queen Elizabeth by flying his entire family in helicopters on occasion — you can check out the helicopters he used to fly in a unique way.

One of the Sea King helicopters flown by Prince William is now earthbound, and it's been made into a glamping accommodation at Pinewood Park in North Yorkshire, England. If the Prince William helicopter is occupied, there's another Sea King that was flown in the Falklands that's also been refinished and is available to book via Daily Mail. They've each got a double bed, convertible bunk beds for kids, a kettle, fridge, heater, and deck area; bring your own bedding.

Here's how it all came to be. After having been stripped of parts, the aircrafts were set to be destroyed, but Ben Stonehouse of Yorkshire bought them from the Ministry of Defense and restored and refinished them over the course of four years — including installing original rotor blades and instrument panels. Stonehouse told Daily Mail why he did it, "People need to experience them and see how big they are inside."

Stonehouse isn't the first to turn a Sea King helicopter into a place to stay — Helicopter Glamping in Stirling, Scotland.