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Prince William begins East Anglian Air Ambulance job | Prince William begins East Anglian Air Ambulance job |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The Duke of Cambridge has admitted he is "feeling the nerves" as he begins his new job as an air ambulance pilot. | The Duke of Cambridge has admitted he is "feeling the nerves" as he begins his new job as an air ambulance pilot. |
Prince William completed a civilian pilot course in September before taking dedicated 999-response training in order to take up the role with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA). | |
The former RAF helicopter pilot will cover Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. | The former RAF helicopter pilot will cover Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. |
His first shift began at Cambridge Airport at 07:00 BST. | His first shift began at Cambridge Airport at 07:00 BST. |
The prince's first shift as a co-pilot alongside medical staff will be nine-and-a-half hours long. | |
'Wet day' | 'Wet day' |
He said: "It's my first day and I'm feeling the nerves. | He said: "It's my first day and I'm feeling the nerves. |
"We're starting off on a wet Cambridge day, but I'm really looking forward to getting started." | |
Prince William's shift pattern will be four days on, four days off, but it will take into account his official royal duties. | |
The prince said: "Obviously at some point there is going to be a lot more pressure and responsibility from the other side of my life, but at the moment I'm juggling the two of them and a young family and I'm enjoying the challenge. | |
"It's a follow-on from where I was with the military search and rescue with many of the same sorts of skills, so it was a natural progression." | |
'Close-knit crew' | |
Bond Air Services operates the air ambulance on behalf of the charity and the prince will be paid a salary which he is donating to charity. | |
Speaking when the appointment was announced, EAAA chief executive Patrick Peal said the organisation, which needs to to raise £7.5m a year to continue its work, would benefit from William's skills as a pilot and the charity's profile would be boosted. | |
"It is a very close-knit crew with the pilot operating closely with the doctor and paramedic so we need a strong team in every operation we go on," he said. | |
Following the birth of Princess Charlotte in May, the prince and his family have spent much of their time at their home, Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. | Following the birth of Princess Charlotte in May, the prince and his family have spent much of their time at their home, Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. |