Harry flies through test to train as copter pilot

PRINCE Harry has passed the selection process to become a helicopter pilot with the Army Air Corps, Clarence House said today.

He will begin an 18-month training course next month to earn his wings. If he qualifies, the prince's spokesman said he will take part in "operational service" wherever the corps flies.

More than 50 per cent of soldiers fail the gruelling four-week "grading"which Harry, 24, completed at Hampshire's Middle Wallop base.

He flew 13 hours with an instructor in a Slingsby T67 single-engine light aircraft over three weeks, but did not fly solo.

The selection course assessed his aptitude for flying and his ability to learn at the required rate. After Harry has earned his wings in the spring of 2010, he will begin training to fly either a Gazelle, Lynx or Apache gunship.

Prince William will also start training to become a fully-fledged chopper pilot for the Royal Navy's Search and Rescue team next month.