First day sales for Prince Harry's tell-all memoir 'Spare' topped 1.4 million copies according to publisher Penguin Random House. Video / AP
Prince Harry’s former army instructor has blasted his wild army “suicide attempt” training claims as “complete fantasy”.
The outspoken royal claimed in his new book that an army instructor deliberately stalled their Slingsby T67 Firefly propeller plane without warning.
But these “dramatic” allegations have been slammed as false by the man who sat beside him at the time, ex-Sergeant Major Michael Booley, who insists every detail of training flights is discussed beforehand.
In his highly-anticipated and controversial autobiography, Spare, released on January 10, Prince Harry spoke of the alleged aviation incident.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. Photo / Getty Images
“On one of our first flights together, with no warning, Booley threw the aircraft into a stall,” the 38-year-old royal claimed in his memoir.
“I felt the left wing dip, a sickening feeling of disorder, of entropy, and then, after several seconds that felt like decades, he recovered the aircraft and levelled the wings.
“I stared at him. What in the absolute —? Was this an aborted suicide attempt?
“No, he said gently. This was the next stage in my training.”
However, Sargent Booley told the Sunday Mirror that he was “in shock” after reading those words.
“I am staggered by this, in shock even” he revealed to the outlet.
“Whilst the book compliments me, the recollection of the sorties and lessons is inaccurate, I’m afraid.
“It’s important to highlight that nothing in the cockpit comes as a surprise. Every sortie is thoroughly briefed beforehand, every single aspect.
“The sortie is flown exactly as per that brief. The only time there are surprises is later in the syllabus, not as stated in the book, when emergencies are introduced.
Prince Harry's memoir Spare. Photo / Getty Images
“Engine failures are practised before the first solo obviously, in case the student suffers one.”
Sargent Booley’s clear version of the incident comes after a string of claims have emerged that suggest parts of Harry’s book have been proven to be inaccurate.
The 57-year-old served in the military for 33 years and taught the Duke of Sussex to pilot the Firefly in 2009.
Harry – who flew Apache attack helicopters in Afghanistan – was presented with his wings a year later by his father King Charles, Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps.
Harry was criticised by senior military figures for revealing his ‘kill count’ of 25 in his new memoir, while the Taliban accused the royal crime of committing war crimes after he referred to people he killed as “chess pieces”.
While Booley asserted that he maintains the “utmost respect and admiration” for Harry, he questions parts of his book which were ghostwritten by leading author, John Joseph Moehringer.
“I think the reference to the flying sorties has been dramatised. I think it’s a result of the ghost writing,” he explained.
“I never called him Lt Wales, he was an officer, and I called him Sir.”
Michael still holds dad-of-two Harry in extremely high regard and fondly recalled the time they shared a roast lamb for a Sunday lunch.
The pair were photographed together in 2009, shortly after Harry graduated from the Defence Elementary Flying Training School.
“He was an exceptional student, very talented indeed,” he added.
“He is a friend and a man I respect immensely who would always have my ear.”
This is not the first time Harry’s comrades have questioned the Duke of Sussex’s version of events during his time in the army.
“All training sorties are briefed to the nth degree so the student is fully aware of what the plan is,” A former Apache instructor reportedly told The Mirror.
“In the air is not the time to try and brief somebody on what the plan is. The briefing will take place on the ground in front of a blackboard.
“I can only assume the book was written like this for dramatic effect because it’s wrong and no instructor would behave like this.”
