Prince William starts as helicopter rescue pilot

CAMBRIDGE, England, July 13 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince William went to work at his new job Monday, as a pilot of the East Anglian Air Ambulance service.

The eldest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the Duke of Cambridge, husband of Kate Middleton and a former RAF helicopter pilot William, 33, completed a civilian pilot course in September and reported for duty at Cambridge Airport Monday.

He will fly rescue missions in an Airbus A145 helicopter, in four counties surrounding Cambridge, about 60 miles from London. His is a part-time position, working four days followed by four days off, with royal duties occupying the rest of his schedule.

"For me it's really important to be grounded. I feel doing a job like this really helps with grounding ... at the core of what I am trying to become," he said in an interview Monday, adding he aspires to being "a good guy," a "decent individual."

He noted Monday, "It's my first day and I'm feeling the nerves. We're starting off on a wet Cambridge day, but I'm really looking forward to getting started."