Another visit meeting the people who live and work behind the gates of RNAS Culdrose.

Among many of the men and women training at RNAS Culdrose is budding helicopter pilot William Vinnell.

He is a member of 824 Naval Air Squadron (NAS), the Merlin training squadron, which teaches air and ground crews the skills required for flying the navy’s submarine-hunting helicopters at sea.

When the students complete their training, they are then assigned to a front-line squadron such as 814 NAS – better known as the Flying Tigers – who operate off the back of frigates, or 820 NAS, who protect the aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

Lieutenant Vinnell, who is originally from Somerset and now lives in Falmouth, is also a keen racer in the extreme sport of cresta - a slimmed-down version of the skeleton toboggan, where participants hurtle down an icy track on a tiny tray-like sled – often at speeds up to 70mph.

He travels to St Moritz in Switzerland in January to represent the Royal Navy in the international cresta championships.

“I took part last year,” he said. “It’s got to be one of the most extreme sports in the world, so they say. You do can get pretty bruised from it but you do get a rush. It’s just fun.”