29/09/2026
Waterfront UTC had the incredible opportunity to join schools and junior cadet groups from across the UK for a visit aboard the Royal Navy’s flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.
Students were taken across several decks, exploring areas including the mess halls, executive lounge, sleeping quarters, data-gathering stations, personnel offices and the medical bay — complete with an operating theatre and facilities comparable to a hospital. Then came the flight deck… and the scale was simply unbelievable!
Our tour guides, who had recently returned from a three-month deployment in the Baltic, shared some fascinating stories about life at sea, including how they hold park runs on the flight deck and the challenges of clearing snow to allow flight crews to carry out sorties.
They then headed to the forward island, home to the ship’s controls and the Captain’s chair. Seeing the scale and complexity of the operations required to run an aircraft carrier was truly incredible. Our final stop before the activities was the aircraft weapons maintenance and assembly area.
The afternoon then gave students the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, from a climbing wall to interactive sessions and discussions led by Royal Navy officers, submarine personnel, Royal Air Force personnel and many others. And, as if the day couldn't get any better… the hangar deck was also home to an F-35B, the fifth-generation, supersonic, stealth, multi-role fighter aircraft featuring short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities.
For our students, this was an incredible opportunity to see engineering, technology, leadership and a huge range of careers brought together in one place.
A huge thank you to the Royal Navy and everyone involved in organising the visit for giving our students such an incredible experience.
