Prince Harry, shown in March 2008, hopes to train to become a military helicopter pilot. (John Stillwell/PA/Associated Press)

Prince Harry hopes to earn his wings as a helicopter pilot with the military, following in the footsteps of his brother, father and uncle, royal officials said Monday.

The prince, 23, will attend a four-week "grading" next month to determine whether he has what it takes to become a pilot with the Army Air Corps. He has already passed the first pilot aptitude test, officials said in a statement.

If he passes and is accepted, the prince, who is third in line to the British throne, will begin flying training in January 2009.

The training will last up to 2½ years, depending on which attack helicopter he learns on — Gazelle, Lynx or Apache.

"I'm impressed by the fact that Prince Harry has put himself forward for this," defence analyst Paul Beaver said. "This is a difficult job."

The rate of failure is between 50 to 60 per cent, and therefore involves the possibility of embarrassment for the prince, said Beaver.

A lieutenant in the Blues and Royals regiment, he served three months in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province as an air controller, but was withdrawn after his secret deployment was revealed.

Harry's older brother, Prince William, begins his training in January to become a search-and-rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force.

William, 26, learned to fly helicopters earlier this year during a stint with the air force. He stirred up controversy when he landed a Chinook helicopter on his girlfriend's parents lawn during an exercise and used another chopper to fly to a bachelor party.

Their father, Prince Charles, qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1974.

Their uncle, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, flew a Sea King helicopter during the Falklands War for the Royal Navy.

With files from the Associated Press