This week saw another royal star take off, as Princess Ingrid Alexandra from Norway piloted a plane on a visit to a Royal Air Force Base.
The 17-year-old royal, who is the daughter of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and second-in-line to the throne, took a ride on a F-16 fighter jet during the visit to the Bodø base on Saturday.
In order to gain more information about Norway’s army and airforce bases, the royal was able to visit them. As she rises to the throne she will take over command of Norway’s armies.
The teenage Princess sat in the back of the plane and watched as the trained pilot took it off the base. Later, she was permitted to briefly control the aircraft during an over Northern Norway.
The flying demonstration saw Ingrid Alexandra follow into the footsteps of her father, who co-piloted a F-16 Falcon in 1991.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, 17, pictured, co-piloted a f-16 plane during a visit to the royal air force base of Bodø on Saturday
In a complete uniform, the Princess was received at the base in the presence of General Rolf Folland. He is also the commander of the Norwegian Royal Air Force.
She was informed about Norway’s Armed Forces’ Mission Statement and also learned about QRA (Quick Response Alert), where F-16 planes can fly within 15 minutes in order to intercept other planes during NATO missions.
Before getting on board, she had to go through an extensive medical exam.
She was permitted to sit on the F-16’s backseat and control the aircraft as it flew over Northern Norway.
Ingrid Alexandra, shown above, took flight in the plane and took command of it while it flew over Northern Norway.
Ingrid Alexandra prepares herself for royal duty after her childhood was spent away from the spotlight.
F-16 will soon be phased out by Norway’s Air Force and replaced with F-35. This will likely mean that the Royal Family will no longer have the privilege of flying in F-16.
She visited an army female-only squadron earlier in the year to find out more about its work.
Her brother is Prince Sverre Magus (16 years old). He ranks higher in his line of succession because of the rule of absolute primogeniture which says that the firstborn child of the Crown prince will succeed him regardless of gender.
The Norwegian royal has kept a low profile growing up, attending a local state primary school, which was attended by her half brother, Marius Borg Høiby, whom Mette-Marit had before she married Prince Haakon.
Ingrid was to walk with her half brother to school because her parents desired a normal childhood.
Ingrid Alexandra was her wedding maid at the 2010 ceremony.
This royal was seen in pilot gear. She seemed eager to emulate her father. In 1991, Crown Prince Haakon from Norway flew an F-16 aircraft.
During her teenage years, she attended the private English school Oslo International School so she could become fluent in English, and later attended the Elvebakken Upper Secondary School in Oslo.
Ingrid Alexandra, who turned 18 in January, has been helping her father Crown Prince Haakon, the Norwegian son of Queen Sonja and King Harald, with more royal duties.
This summer, she looked solemn as she and her father laid a wreath on Utoya island as Norway marked ten years since Anders Breivik killed 77 people in the country’s worst ever massacre.
After ascending to the throne of Norway in 1991, King Harald (84) and Queen Sonja (84) have ruled Norway for over 30 years.
Ingrid Alexandra carefully listened as she was explained the mission statement of Norway’s Armed Forces.
As she donned her helmet (pictured), the royal was serious before getting on board Saturday’s F-16 aircraft.
The teenage boy sat in the back, but took charge of the plane when it was taking off.