SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

Prince & Princess of Wales

Prince William returns to work beginning new job with East Anglian Air Ambulance

As all good things must come to an end and so does Prince William’s latest time at home with his family as he is due to start his new job as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) today.

The job not only requires early 7am starts at the Cambridge International Airport but the future king will also have his share of night shifts. Something that his two young children have more than trained him for with the sleepless nights any parent can relate to.

As a former RAF search-and-rescue pilot, Prince William will take on all the duties of the often perilous job of hazardous missions in remote areas to reach those who are critically ill and who other emergency services cannot reach.

Despite his previous piloting experience, William had to undergo a civilian pilot course last September and 999-response training before he could start with EAAA.

Bond Air Services, which operates the air ambulance on behalf of the charity, employs William and pays his salary which he will be donating in full to worthy causes.

Doctor Jeremy Mauger on the EC145 helicopter that The Duke of Cambridge will be co-piloting commented on how rewarding the job can be. “Our crew, particularly the pilots, are fantastic and we are looking forward to working with the Duke. They fly in very challenging conditions and land in tight spaces, such as a sports field or busy dual carriageway” Mauger told Mail Online.

Patrick Peal, EAAA chief executive, spoke of the addition of Prince William to the team. ”This is really good news for the charity and we’re delighted His Royal Highness has decided to fly with us. We are confident this will help raise the profile of the charity and other air ambulance charities in the region and across the UK. We’re looking forward to him being part of the team.”

Patrick Peal added ”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.”

The Duke will be part of a team of six on a roster of nine and a half hours shifts, both day and night.  The duties of the job means that he must respond to an emergency rain or snow, day or night and even miss Christmas should an emergency call come in although his employers will take into consideration William’s responsibilities and the duties that he has on behalf of The Queen.

Photo Credit: Australian Department of Defence via Flickr

1 Comment

Comments are closed.