Harry’s chopper dreams crashlands

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: Prince Harry may be flying high, but seems to be heading for a crash landing over his ambition to become a combat chopper pilot.

The reason: He did not score well in his theoretical examination in the first week of his aptitude training as well as struggled to grasp the classroom theory he’d have to master to earn a place on the next stage, according to sources. “He’s a good flier. Very confident, very calm. Great natural manual skills and co-ordination, and a good sense of what’s around him in the air. But the theory is a real stretch for him,” the Daily Star quoted an unnamed source as saying. Harry began a month-long series of trials to become a helicopter gunship pilot around 15 days ago. The 24-year-old third-in-line to the British throne has so far won a medium grading for his flying skills at the controls of a Slingsby Firefly trainer plane and has another fortnight to correct his ways or face failing training. More than 50% of applicants fail the first hurdle at the Middle Wallop base in Hants. Those who pass go through to an 18-month training schedule that will earn them their helicopter pilot wings.

According to the source, Harry is desperate to make the grade as he feels it is the only way he will see active service again.

He had struggled with academic life at school and Sandhurst Military Academy. He also scraped through with two of the lowest A-level grades Eton has seen and often had to pester aides for help at Sandhurst.