Expert: Adrian Beney - 1/6/2008

Question
Hi..My name is lydia im 13 years old.Im from Ireland..I really want to be a pilot...what age can i start learning at??Is it difficult to become one...

Answer
I don't know about the rules in Ireland, but in the UK you can learn to fly at any age; but you can't actually pass the flying test until you're 17 years old.

There's a great web site at http://www.irishaviation.net - although when I looked this morning it was down - which has loads of information about flying in Ireland.

Also, don't neglect microlights and gliding - you can go solo in the UK at 16 in a glider, I think, and you can learn before that - and it's cheaper than powered aviation.

http://flyinginirelandmagazine.com is also a good one; there's a forum where you can ask questions too.

Good luck!

best wishes

Adrian