Duke of Cambridge to work with East Anglian Air Ambulance – What will it involve?

Set to take up a post as an air ambulance pilot, Prince William will clock on for eight hour days or night shifts with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, Kensington Palace confirms.

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He will join EAAA’s highly skilled team of pilots and clinicians who ensure the highest standard of pre hospital emergency medicine to the scene of accidents and medical emergencies across the region of East Anglia.

Mr Andrew Egerton Smith MBE, Chairman of EAAA, said “Having the Duke of Cambridge as one of our pilots is marvellous news as he brings much experience to the charity after his successful career as a search and rescue pilot. We have an outstanding track record of attending people in the hour of need which is recognised and generously supported by our local communities”

But what will this involve for Prince William?

A typical buys shift could involve four or five call-outs, working alongside other emergency services. Road traffic incidents make up a large portion of EAAA’s work but also include other emergencies such as heart attacks, sporting injuries and other common accidents.

A pilot for EAAA, Mr. Hermer said;

“The Prince’s job will be to react to 999 calls as required by ambulance control.

“He will be deployed in any emergency medical situation where using a helicopter will be in the best interests of the patient.

“He is already a qualified professional pilot and the main difference between this and his previous role is there will be less flying over sea and the helicopter will not be equipped with a winch.

“He will also be dealing with more injured people than he is perhaps used to.

“In some cases this can be quite distressing but I’m sure he is well equipped to cope with that.

“Ultimately he will be part of a crew and will sit with them all day so they are likely to become very close.”

A pilot’s first job of the day is to check the aircraft for faults. When everything has the OK, the day will be measured up with the predicted weather forecast.  Waiting upon emergency calls, the crew waits in the crew room, during this time the Duke of Cambridge will be expected to carry out training, complete admin tasks and help welcome guests to the airstrip.

After receiving a call, the crew is expected to be in the air between four and five minutes. They aim to arrive anywhere in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire within 25 minutes.

Mr Hermer said: “We’re all delighted with his background and his willingness to work for us.

“Everybody is just looking forward to it – it’s a great boost for us and a great opportunity for him as well to continue his flying career in this role

“He’s used to being part of a team working in search and rescue for the air force, so I’m sure he will fit in quickly.”