JAA PPL in Southern California? Help please

[ricky365]

Hi, first post ever for me. Can anyone advise a good JAA certified flight school in Southern California? I'll be doing all of my ground school in the UK and the flying in the US. I have heard many bad things about Ajay and the UKFT schools, hence my nervousness. I'm flexible about location but want a good mix of airspace experience Thanks in advance. R

[mirogster]

Have look at UK CAA 'approved' FTOs:
Standards Document 31 version 99: Organisations Conducting CAA and JAR-FCL Approved Courses of Flight and Ground Training | Publications | CAA (http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=2854)

And i don't think that UKFT is there.

[Muddy Boots]

I have been corrected before, everywhere else sells you an ICAO compliant PPL. UKFT is very dodgy, I looked in through the door once and met with Ajay and swiveled on my heels and since have heard horror stories of poor maintenance, an engine failure on a first solo for example.

Muddy Boots

[ricky365]

Thanks for the responses - not good news really if there is only one JAA school in California. What would you suggest? go FAA and then convert? that appears to be the way to avoid the schools preying on UK students. If I do that, how easy is the conversion? and is it done in the UK? or US?

[vinil]

American Aviation Academy what I understand used to be Anglo American and they had a visit from the US goverment officers, they closed or changed name. American Aviation Academy do not appear to be on the CAA list or on the FAA 141 list. UKFT is also not on any list either. UKFT offers FAA PPL with a conversion for JAA. Please do your research before leaving UK and ask for references. Good luck..

[Dreamshiner]

Also, Vinil is pprune account either used by Ajay or someone with a vested interest in UKFT if you wish to check their previous posts. However it is nice to see the ardent defence is more tempered now. Be wary.

[BillieBob]

Whilst strictly correct, vinil's post is, unsurprisingly, disingenuous. Approval is held by Anglo American Aviation Ltd (a UK registered company) to conduct JAA PPL training at El Cajon with resources supplied by American Aviation Academy. Consequently, approved JAA training is available at AAA but not at UKFT. This does not mean to imply that either school is better than the other, I have no first-hand information on which to base such a judgement. Neither do I have any knowledge of the business connections (if any) between AAA Ltd. and AAA Inc.