More emergency call-outs while Duke of Cambridge working The Duke, who is 31, this week completed his tour of duty as an RAF search and rescue pilot and has decided not to transfer to any other branch of the forces. In his three years of search and rescue operations, he flew 628 hours and 30 minutes in his yellow Sea King helicopter and conducted 156 individual search and rescue missions. A spokesman for the MOD said: "There is no evidence to support the theory that the presence of Prince William contributed to RAF Valley's search and rescue flight being busier than normal." He said number of call-outs depended on the weather and helicopters could not be called out directly by the public, only by the emergency services. He said: "In sum, these factors are key, not the presence of any individual on any flight." Kensington Palace declined to comment.