The Duke of Cambridge completes his last shift as an air ambulance helicopter pilot

The Duke of Cambridge has completed his last shift with the East Anglian Air Ambulance on 27 July, 2017 at Cambridge Airport. 

On his final day at work, The Duke arrived for a night shift, and attended the hand over briefings from the day team as usual, before joining his team-mates at the helicopter he has flown for the past two years for a group photograph.

The Duke joined EAAA as an Air Ambulance pilot in March 2015. After completing an initial period of job-specific training involving simulator, aircraft and in-flight skills training, he began piloting his first operational missions in July 2015.

Throughout his service, The Duke has been based out of Cambridge Airport, as part of a team including specialist doctors, critical care paramedics and pilots providing emergency medical services across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

EAAA helicopters can reach patients anywhere in the region within 25 minutes. They provide rapid, effective treatment as soon as possible after injury, and transport patients directly to hospital if required.  Regular landing areas for EAAA helicopters include residential gardens, carparks, beaches, roadsides, and any open space deemed possible by the captain. Last year, the EAAA carried out 2361 missions.

Over the last two years, The Duke has enjoyed the opportunity to connect directly with the community of East Anglia and has valued being part of a team that provides such a critical and often life-saving public service.

In article for the Eastern Daily Press to mark his last day at work, The Duke said:

'I wanted to say thank you to my colleagues, team mates and the people of East Anglia who I have been so proud to serve. Over the past two years I have met people from across the region who were in the most desperate of circumstances. As part of the team, I have been invited into people's homes to share moments of extreme emotion, from relief that we have given someone a fighting chance, to profound grief. I have watched as incredibly skilled doctors and paramedics have saved people's lives. These experiences have instilled in me a profound respect for the men and women who serve in our emergency services, which I hope to continue to champion even as I leave the profession. I am hugely grateful for having had this experience.'

Find out more about The Duke of Cambridge.