Helicopter on standby for Wills: Aircraft parked in back garden of Anglesey farmhouse ready for dash when Kate goes into labour Duchess could be flown to hospital in high-speed chopper Prince has borrowed vehicle with five days to go Flight from Anglesey to hospital will take just 90 minutes By Royal Correspondent Five days to go: The Duchess' due date is looming For most fathers-to-be, the mad dash to get to the hospital on time involves weaving through traffic and swearing at the dashboard. The Duke of Cambridge, however, has something a little more efficient up his sleeve - a helicopter. Well, more precisely, it's in his back garden. With five days to go until his wife is due to give birth to their first child, Prince William has borrowed a helicopter once used to circumnavigate the globe in record time. It means that the 31-year-old duke, who is on duty this week as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, can cover the 288 miles between his base in North Wales and St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, West London, in just 90 minutes. The distinctive orange McDonnell Douglas four-seater helicopter appears to be on permanent standby in the garden of his rented farmhouse on the island of Anglesey in case it is needed to whisk him off. It was parked there last night. When the time comes, however, it is not believed that William would fly the helicopter himself. Meanwhile Kate, also 31, is dividing her time between their London apartment in the grounds of Kensington Palace and her parents" home in Berkshire, so she can be closer to the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, where she will give birth. The helicopter is owned by the prince's friend, fellow pilot Simon Oliphant-Hope, who was Pierce Brosnan's stunt double in the James Bond film Die Another Day. He occasionally offers the couple a lift in the aircraft if he happens to be "routing past" North Wales. The Mail published exclusive photographs of such a trip last month. Last night the couple's office at Kensington Palace refused to discuss the helicopter parked in the prince's Welsh garden. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and dog Lupo with pilot Simon Oliphant-Hope after landing at Denham, south Buckinghamshire They also declined to comment on whether William had paid for it to be kept on permanent standby while he was on duty, or if it had been lent to them as a favour by Mr Oliphant-Hope. According to specialists Air Charter Service it would normally cost more than £1,000 a day to have a helicopter on standby, while the cost of a flight between Anglesey and London would be around £6,000. A spokesman said: "A number of travel options are being considered for the duke should he need to travel back to London from Anglesey at a moment's notice. This includes by helicopter. However he gets back to London will be at his private expense. Mr Oliphant-Hope also declined to comment.