EXCLUSIVE: Prince Louis 'Locked Into Top Gun Career Dream'
Prince Louis appears to have his career already decided.
Sept. 20 2026, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Prince Louis is locking his sights on becoming a real-life "Top Gun," with the young royal dreaming of growing up to fly fighter jets for the Royal Air Force, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Louis, eight, revealed his high-flying ambition to his mother, Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44 – who has shared the detail about her boy's dream during her first visit to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as its Royal Honorary Air Commodore.
Fighter Pilot Dream Takes Flight
Prince Louis has set his sights on a real-life 'Top Gun' fighter jet career.
Catherine inspected a Typhoon fighter jet and tried a state-of-the-art flight simulator during the engagement last October.
A royal source claimed that Louis is still intent on being a fighter pilot: "Louis is at an age where he is completely fascinated by aircraft, speed and the idea of being inside the cockpit, and becoming a fighter pilot sounds like the most exciting job imaginable to him. He has apparently been very enthusiastic about planes for some time, so this isn't simply something Catherine invented during the visit.
"William and Catherine encourage all three children to be curious about different careers rather than assuming their futures must revolve entirely around royal life. Louis obviously has many years before he needs to think seriously about any profession, but at the moment flying a fighter jet is right at the top of his list."
RAF Training Shows What It Takes
The royal mother inspected a Typhoon fighter jet during her base visit.
Another insider claimed: "Catherine isn't pretending it would be an easy route. She was very keen to point out that becoming a pilot requires years of training, discipline and enormous amounts of work. Louis may love the glamorous Top Gun idea now thanks to the film and seeing RAF displays at royal events, but his mother clearly wants him to understand what earning a place in that cockpit would actually involve."
During her visit to RAF Coningsby last year, Catherine climbed up to inspect a Typhoon cockpit after being shown the aircraft by Wing Commander Luke "Wilko" Wilkinson.
Discussing Louis' ambition, Catherine said: "I'm going to tell (my children) it takes eight years and a lot of hard work."
Her children were apparently particularly interested in their mother's visit. When a member of the RAF team said, "Somebody told us that your children were very excited about you seeing a plane," Catherine acknowledged that Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Louis would be envious.
"They'll be very upset that I've seen a Typhoon without them," she quipped.
Typhoon Simulator Puts Skills to the Test
Princess Catherine successfully completed a virtual loop-the-loop on a flight simulator.
Catherine had arrived at the base by helicopter before receiving a private briefing from Group Captain Paul O'Grady and Warrant Officer Nikki Nolan.
She was briefed on RAF Coningsby's involvement in Operation Shader in the Middle East and Operation Eastern Sentry, which strengthens NATO's presence along its eastern flank.
The princess later visited the Typhoon Future Synthetic Training Facility, where instructor Geraint White invited her into a simulator.
White asked: "Would you like a go?"
Catherine replied: "Yes, I'd love to."
Despite having never previously flown a fighter aircraft simulator, Catherine completed a virtual flight and performed a loop-the-loop.
O'Grady was impressed by her performance.
He said: "She seems to be a natural pilot, so we might have to get her qualified and get her flying a Typhoon, if she's up for it."
Royal Family's Longstanding RAF Connections
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Prince William previously served as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot.
Catherine became Royal Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Coningsby in August 2023, continuing the Royal Family's longstanding association with Britain's armed forces.
Louis' father, Prince William, trained at Sandhurst before serving with the RAF, qualifying as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot and later working as an air ambulance pilot.
His uncle Prince Harry also graduated from Sandhurst and spent 10 years in the Army, completing two tours in Afghanistan – first as a forward air controller and later flying Apache attack helicopters.
