LONDON — Britain's Prince William started his new job as an air ambulance pilot on Monday.
William, whose title is the Duke of Cambridge, will donate his salary from the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) to charity.
He will be tasked with flying victims of car crashes and people suffering heart attacks to the hospital. Regular landing areas for the team include private gardens, parking lots, beaches and roadsides.
"We're looking forward to him being part of the team," EAAA chief executive Patrick Peal said when William's role was announced. "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 former Royal Air Force helicopter pilot started his first shift at 7 a.m. (2 a.m. ET). He will work a nine-and-a-half-hour day.
The Duke of Cambridge had to pass no fewer than 14 exams as part of his training, Kensington Palace said on Monday.
His schedule will take into account his royal duties that he will still have to undertake on behalf of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, according to the BBC.
In his role, he will fly patients to hospitals across the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.
Last year, the EAAA attended 1,785 missions from its two bases at Norwich and Cambridge.
