Prince William takes off in new air ambulance job

London

Prince William started his new job as an air ambulance pilot on Monday and was swiftly in the air on an emergency mission.

The Duke of Cambridge, 33, second in line to the throne, said he hoped he could juggle fatherhood, royal duties and his new role in the skies.

"It's my first day and I'm feeling the nerves," he said at a drizzle-soaked Cambridge Airport.

"I'm really looking forward to getting started."

Two months into becoming a father of two after the birth of Princess Charlotte, William began his first shift with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), a charity providing emergency helicopter cover across eastern England.

William, who spent three years as a military search and rescue helicopter pilot, has gone through months of exams and training to convert to his new civilian role.

Two hours after clocking in for duty, the prince and his crew-mates were dispatched on his first emergency call-out.

"Doing a job like this really helps me to be grounded and that's the core of what I'm trying to become," he said.

"I'm trying to be a good guy, to do what I can and trying to be a decent individual."

He suggested there was no reason why he could not carry on flying helicopters until he becomes king.