Learning to fly is not as straightforward as learning to drive - and with good reason (after all, you don't really have to consider vectors when reversing out of a parking space). It can take years, and not everybody will be cut out for a career as a pilot. But, even taking into account the length of time required to become a pilot, the reality is that airlines are accepting people with fewer and fewer hours already logged - without, of course, compromising safety standards. And, while some people do choose to train in Ireland, the vast majority of Irish pilots travel overseas for their training.

"There are good schools in Ireland, " said Eddie Russell of Pilot Recruitment International, which offers a top-quality training programme from an ex-NATO airbase in Canada. "The trouble here is that Met Eireann states that there are about 230 days of every year which are either overcast or partially overcast. And new pilots can't train in poor visibility until they have their instrument rating. Simply put, you can accomplish your training in Canada in a much shorter time than you could at home."

So how long is a shorter time?

The Algonquin Flight Centre, which is the centre from which PRI offers its training, will have you in the air almost immediately. After 15 to 17 hours flying, you will have your first solo flight. And an average person will achieve his or her private pilot licence, followed by a commercial pilot licence, within 12 months, which is the entry level required for the industry.

However, a person who has a commercial licence will ordinarily not be able to take a job with an airline immediately, given that they will only have about 250 hours of loggable flying - they are simply too much of a novice. This is why PRI offers an internship programme, including time as a flight instructor, which leads to 600 hours and an almost guaranteed place in industry.

Indeed, overall, it will take between 24 and 36 months from initial interview to a first job as an airline pilot.

"Our top 20% or 30% will go straight to the airlines, flying A320s or Boeings, " said Russell. "The next 20% or 30% will probably start in the regional airlines. The remainder will also have a wide career choice - for example, they could operate an air taxi, they could work in search and rescue, they could get involved in aerial fire fighting - or the top two or three people could actually go on to the development of our aerobatics team, PRI Aerobatics."

Given the growth in Ireland's helicopter population, there is also a helicopter training programme available through PRI - and this should take no more than 50 or 60 hours to complete if a person already holds a fixed-wing licence. But it is aeroplane pilots which are the main focus of PRI - partly because, by building pilots, they are creating the future instructors for Pilot recruitment International.

"We need instructors, " said Russell. "We operate a 1:2 ratio of instructors to pilots for safety reasons."

In terms of job opportunities outside of instructor, the airlines are the most obvious employer, although these prefer to take people on who are under 30 - so those looking for a career change may have to look elsewhere for employment. But, given the global need for pilots, it is possible that even older novices may find themselves working for an airline simply by virtue of being able to fly.

"The Chinese and Indian markets have really taken off, " explained Russell. "In fact, it has been estimated that China will require 40,000 pilots by 2020, and India is not far behind. Canada has been identified as a location for the training of these pilots. In fact, Canada has a long history of training, having trained most of the Allied pilots in WWII, and the facility here is a former NATO airbase, with two runways longer than Dublin Airport's."All of which seems very positive.

So what sort of people should apply?

"We had trained 10 pilots in our first year, all from different backgrounds, " said Russell. "We had a welder, we had someone from banking, we had a chef and a computer science graduate, as well as a number of school leavers. But we are mainly looking for motivated people who really want to become pilots."