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davethelimey
14th May 2006, 18:46
Evening all,

A search on prune for thoughts in intensive JAA course in Florida reveals mostly a lot of personal bitching, so I thought I'd ask for some thoughts afresh.

First hour of flying done and it's something I'd like to pursue. Choices, as you know, are either to do it in this country, spend upwards of 5k and take two years to do it thanks to weather and other complicating factors, or do it in the US in three weeks, spend around half as much.

So here are the questions I'd appreciate some thoughts on:

If I sign up for one of these 21-day jobbies, what are the chances of me actually finishing the course in that time?

What are the chances of the bill at the end being substantially (say, $500 or more) higher than the original quote?

Is it worth doing ground school and exams first, and making the Florida stay entirely practical?

Finally, of course, has anyone reading this actually done an intensive course, and if so, what did they think and what would they do differently if they did it again?

Cheers,

Dave.

mcgoo
14th May 2006, 18:59
So here are the questions I'd appreciate some thoughts on:
If I sign up for one of these 21-day jobbies, what are the chances of me actually finishing the course in that time?Dave.
Very good, When I was out there I lost about 3/4 days due to high winds but still completed on time, long days and hard work though!

What are the chances of the bill at the end being substantially (say, $500 or more) higher than the original quote?Dave.
I went to OBA in florida and the price they quoted me was the price I paid, no hidden costs

Is it worth doing ground school and exams first, and making the Florida stay entirely practical?Dave.
It will make things easier if you do the exams before you go because you have more time to focus on the flying and reading/memorising the various checklists and procedures. If not at least do the reading and take the exams in florida as they are included in the package price anyway!

Finally, of course, has anyone reading this actually done an intensive course, and if so, what did they think and what would they do differently if they did it again?Cheers,Dave.
Yes I did the 21 day course and loved it, like I said hard work but well worth it, learning the intensive way is not for everyone but it worked for me and the people who were there with me at the time.

gcolyer
14th May 2006, 22:07
If you go to Florida with the attitude of "I am here to get my PPL in 21 days and not for an easy ride holiday" then you will most likely get your PPL.

I done mine in 21 days exactly in Florida. I sacrificed nights out in Daytona for the study books. You really have to be 100% dedicated to the study, schedule and rules or you will not do it.

Get as many exams out the way as you can before you start an intensive course, it really will make the load a lot easier.

Personaly i think it is the best way, once you get home book in with the local flying club for at least a few hours to get used to RT and procedures in the UK. Then i would recommed befriending a good pilot with plenty of hours and experience and go flying as much as you can with them.

IO540
15th May 2006, 06:14
Dead right.

Do all exams and medical over here, then go out there expecting to be totally knackered for a number of weeks. That's how I got my IR. If I had even gone out for a beer or two each evening I would not have got it, and I had 500+ hours and a lot of instrument time then.

The PPL should be less intense but somehow one has to clock up the required hours.

If I was doing this "JAA PPL in the USA" stuff I would make sure I ended up with the FAA PPL logbook entries too and did the FAA checkride; then you have both the JAA PPL, and the FAA PPL which will be a standalone one and not dependent on anything but a Class 3 medical (which you can get out there, very cheap) and a BFR every 2 years, and the BFR can be combined in the same flight with a UK PPL checkout. This opens up the route to an IR. However, the FAA PPL requires additional revision over the JAA one, even though most of the JAA cr*p is missing from the syllabus.

Having invested the vast amount of hassle getting the visa and TSA, may as well make the best of it.

unfazed
15th May 2006, 08:49
Intensive sounds like a good plan as time is money !

I gained my FAA CPL/IR in Jan of this year at OFT

Great flying, fantastic aviation environment

You will need to work hard so forget about Disney and beaches and leave the family at home. Studying will eat up most evenings and you will be flying all day long so get trhe exams done before you go so that you have less to do.

OFT Supply instructors and aircraft but you must be clear on what the syllabus, your attitude and focus (or lack of it) will be what determines your success.:ok: