> BTW you can't fly on a FAA PPL in Austria
I'd say you can fly as PIC, in an N-registered aircraft, that is.
But mind you, I'm just an interested noob, nothing more.
AFAIK:
The British CAA has licensed some overseas FTOs under JAA rules so one can make his PPL(-H) in Florida at definitely lower cost:
Example air plane PPL cost comparison,( in german):
Kostenvergleich US PPL gegen JAR PPL - Deutsche Flugschule USA Florida Flyers
With that kind of "US-PPL" (actually a JAR-FCL PPL) you can fly European registered aircraft inside Europe
AND N-registered aircraft in any FAA compatible country (the latter is my guess)
Nice for recreational users, but guys intending to go commercial ought better train locally to get a job offer, I'm guessing.
(You certainly can add a mountain "rating" to your PPL in Florida, could be that Austrian/Swiss HEMS operator might frown a little at that career path)
side note: how do I get a "reply" window with the text of the posting I'm answering to already include as a quote?