How much does it cost to learn to fly in the UK, and what restrictions are there? Flying has been a dream for me since I was a little boy. My absolute dream career was to be a fighter pilot in the RAF. It's obviously a very hard career to get into, however I fell even before the first hurdle when I found out that I'm colour blind. 

Finding out I was colour blind actually closed a lot of potentially enjoyable careers. Police, Armed Forces, Electrical all reject colour blind people. 

I'd love to be able to fly, freely in a light aircraft - something like a glider or mosquito helicopter, but I just can't figure out where I need to start. Also, I'm not sure if it's financially viable. 

Could someone give me a breakdown of costs and commitments needed? 

Also, I'm assuming that being colour blind doesn't automatically mean I'm not able to fly?

Also, I'm in the UK
My recommendation is: Join a glider club. This limits the expense and puts you into contact with many like-minded people. Make sure the club has several gliding instructors, so you will have enough chance for training lessons.

Did you try the UK gliding club finder yet?

I prefer gliders over powered aircraft because they expose you to the weather and the laws of aerodynamics much more directly. Also, the expenses per hour are much lower. At most clubs, you can expect to pay around £20 per hour to hire a glider, around £30 for an aerotow launch and around £8 for a winch launch.