PPL training abroad.

[sheffieldlad]

Hi all,

I'm new to flying after doing a recent 30 min trial flight I'm looking to do my PPL either at an airfield local to me or somewhere in the U.S.

I don't know too much about the subject to be honest so I'd like to pick a few brains to hopefully help me make up my mind whether to do the training locally to me or go abroad and do it.

I want to do it in the U.S. for the experience but above that I want the best training I can get and I don't know if the U.S. is the best place to get a jaa licence.

If I go to the U.S. and do it, will the licence have to be converted when I return to the UK?

What are the pros and cons of learning abroad compared to learning in the UK?

I have more enthusiasm than knowledge right now so a lot of the websites such as UKFT only confuse me with phrases like 'jaa compliant' (what the hell does that mean?) The UKFT site got me excited until I saw this and spotted numerous spelling mistakes....

At the moment I'm quite lost in a fog of acronyms and marketing. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Paul.

[XLC]

it is not that complicated, the information however is scattered all over the place. This website has several threads alluding to most of it.

What you need to start with is the end: where will you use your licence the most? If you are based in the UK I would suggest you aim first for a licence valid in Europe on planes registered in Europe ( JAA/EASA PPL). The most simple is to aim for a licence issued by the EU's country's authority where you reside officially; ( if not you will have to convert it to a licence issued by the country where you reside, but that is more admin.)

In the US, Spain and France there are some schools that are recognised by the Uk's CAA and these are alternatives if you so wish to learn abroad. One quite informative thread about flying in the US is http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/278995-guide-obtaining-jaa-ppl-us-part-1-a.html , alternatively mine at http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/409924-trained-florida-feb-march-2010-a.html

There is no real difference in quality of training per country, BUT there is a big difference in quality per instructor. There are many other factors that you have to consider such as timeframe, budget, weather, ... etc. Ask around, collect info and eventually you will figure out which route suits you best.

[LandingGearDown]

I'm a British citizen that relocated to the US and ended up getting my PPL over here in FL where i currently work as a lineman at an Fixed Base Operator (General Aviation side of an airport) in Gainesville. I want to be a Certified Flight Instructor which I'm well on the way to be. I haven't looked into the paper work in transferring my license over to a JAA/EASA PPL but I found this info below that might be useful to you, at least from a financial stand point.

How ever and where ever you do your flight training, book at least three flights a week or the whole process will end up costing you more. There will be times when the weather is bad for an extended period of time, the plane is down for maintenance, or you just can't fly for an unlimited amount of unexpected variables. Oh, and Florida summers suck because of the intense heat. I highly recommend coming over in early Spring or late Fall when it's warm but not hot. The Winter and Spring tend to be when the weather is good and there's nothing but clear skies every day, though the mornings can sometimes be misty. The summer brings regular thunderstorms daily, and sometimes hurricanes, which can be fun to fly in if your a cargo pilot. :)

If you want any more info about getting your PPL in Florida personnel message me. :)

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/379357-cost-jaa-ppl-uk-2.html

tomboo
5th Feb 2012, 11:44

I did it in Floridashire in Americaland last Jan, as I can't commit to regular weekly lessons. My finances came out like this;

Training $9007 £5,552
Visa Phone Call !! £9.24
Visa $140 £89.91
Servis $200 £123.30
Deposit $500 £325.67
Medical £130.00
US Medical $60 £36.99
TSA $130 £80.40
Flights £471.30
Insurance £47.25
Licence £180.50
Exams 7 x 35 £245.00
Books £350.00
Living USA $1649 £1,016.00

TOTAL £8,658

[AndoniP]

if you're going to fly in this country then it would be better to train here as you'll be used to flying in this weather. no point flying in sunshine all day every day when you're going to be bumbling around the uk skies.

best thing for you to do is visit the local flying schools and find out what the JAA/EASA PPL is all about. the quality of aircraft they have. the costs.

the US may seem cheaper but living costs, expenses and so on won't make it that much cheaper.

[tegwin]

I went to Florida to start my PPL(H). It was a fantastic experience but I rather regret it. By the time you have sorted visas, transport half way around the world, accomodation and then converted back to UK license is it really worth the financial beneffit? I would have said not!

I wish I had stayed in the UK and learned here, the weather, traffic etc are totally different meaning it took some time to learn the ropes once I got back!

[BackPacker]

no point flying in sunshine all day every day when you're going to be bumbling around the uk skies.
it took some time to learn the ropes once I got back!

These are age-old arguments and there is some truth in them. It's up to you to weigh them off against the advantages.

One thing is for sure. You won't learn anything on a cancelled lesson due to bad (UK) weather. The cancellation % of your lessons when going to Florida will be virtually nil, whereas in the UK it's not unheard of to get three-four weeks of cancelled lessons in a row.

Furthermore, on an intensive course like they do in the US, you don't lose any currency inbetween lessons. That means you stand a pretty good chance to finish in 45 hours, spread over three to four weeks. Whereas in the UK, life and weather will intervene, making it far more likely that you need a year and maybe 60-70 hours before you pass the exam.

Why not simply take that (year minus four weeks) and (60-70 hours minus 45) and the money you save, and use it to get used to UK peculiarities, and the UK weather? In other words: Once you get back from the US, book a few lessons with a UK instructor, and use these lessons to "get back" as it were.

I want the best training I can get

That's a good intention, particularly if you're willing to back it up with your wallet. You'll find that the quality of training rests mostly with the quality of your instructor, and not so much with the school, location or aircraft.

Furthermore, tell your instructor you don't want to skimp on the first few lessons (S&L, climbing, descending, trimming properly, turning, slow flight and such; the basics really), and unusual attitudes/stalls/incipient spins and such. In fact, if possible, get a few "unusual attitudes"/"upset" lessons under your belt, to improve your handling skills and to get a better appreciation of what the aircraft is and is not capable of at the edges of the flight envelope.

(If your school is not able to provide this, plan on doing one of those "Advanced PPL" courses at places like Ultimate High, once you've got your PPL.)

The other thing that schools are not all that good about are real-world, practical flying skills that make life easier when traveling. Things like:
- Using the internet effectively to gather pre-flight information. (NOTAMs, Meteo, AIP and so forth)
- Using GPS effectively
- Making sound weather decisions, not just based on destination METARs, but also based on other Met sources
- Caring for the aircraft on a multi-leg, multi-day trip.

[Slopey]

I did my licence out at the "old" OBA in FL - loved every minute of it - didn't have an issue flying back in the UK afterwards - a couple of hours checkout from the local club and I was good to go. But it is NOT a holiday, will take 4/5 weeks to ensure you get it done, do the exams BEFORE you go, (and maybe do 2-3 hours here just go get some basics down) and caveat emptor on the current crop of schools - do your research well before you go. I can't offer any advice as it was 5+ years since I did it, and at the time, it was far cheaper (<50%) due to the $/£ and also because I'm based at virtually the most expensive field in the UK.

Although economically it might not make much difference cost wise now, the benefits are consistent training over a short set period rather than once a week over 18 months, virtually no cancellations, no distractions (work/wife/girlfriend), and you're immersed in aviation - that's all you do every day while you're there. That's what sold it for me - after weeks of turning up for cancelled lessons, I headed stateside, got it done in 5 weeks with 10 hours hourbuilding at the end, with no issues). However the same is true for other places in the world, not the the US.

For "can do" attitude to aviation however, you cannot beat the US. Loads of excellent facilities, virtually no landing fees, flight following and weather info everywhere - it's fantastic.

(Also, unless you have done much research, as usual, don't pay up front. I paid on arrival with the school and incurred something like a 5-10% increase on the cost as a result, but I was happy to take that hit in order to eyeball the school/equipment and speak to the staff)

Bear in mind that it may be very worth while getting an FAA PPL while you're there in addition to the JAA/EASA one - it's just another exam and a skills test, and will give you a full US FAA which you can add things onto later (the very accessible IR for example). That's far better than a 61.75 licence based on your JAA/EASA PPL which you can't add things to in the same manner.

Had I known that I would have definately got both tickets when I was there rather than just the JAA one.

[peterh337]

I don't think I would go to the USA to do just the basic JAA PPL - unless one is looking for wider options and wants the FAA PPL (and possibly the FAA CPL or IR) at the same time.

It's just too much hassle.

I did my original (FAA) IR in the USA and that made a lot of sense, compared to the 50-hour FTO + 7 exam route over here, and it cost me a fraction of what the UK IR would have cost.

The biggest thing that makes s difference to PPL costs and time is how often you can fly. If you camp out next to the school and fly twice a day, you are highly likely to do it in the min time of 45 hrs.

The UK weather is a risk, obviously, which is why going abroad to Greece or Spain is a good option.

[Mickey Kaye]

This summer I can quite arrogantly state that I will be involved in appropriately 32 fast track PPLs. 98% of which will be completed in 4 weeks or less and all of this will be done in the UK. And this happened last year and the year before that and the year before than as well

Its easy to do even with UK weather when you have the right set up.

Also if you know what you are doing and where to go you can get all of this for 6 grand.

[LandingGearDown]

What are the main differences between flying in the US and UK? Does ATC in the UK offer flight following, do the FBO's treat you like gold, and how busy is the UK airspace?

[sherburn2LA]

It depends why you are doing it. At 35 I am guessing you are not thinking of making a career of it. For me the training was a large part of the fun - why hurry over it. I probably have pretty average aptitude and I did mine in about 60 hours over 18 months. With reading and exams that is plenty of aviation intensity.

The flying here (California) can be great but the airports can be pretty soulless. I would still have chosen to train over there. Get yourself along to Sherburn (I lived in S Yorks myself at the time it's an easy drive if you pick your time) or Netherthorpe and soak up the whole experience. The price of flying and the petrol to get there are horrible (anywhere) compared to those happier times and the social scene is not what it was when Sue would keep the cafe and bar open all hours but it is still not a bad spot. Hang out before and after your lessons - learn stuff , meet people and cadge a few free flights.

I flew with more instructors than you can shake a stick at which is probably not the most efficient way but there were none I didn't learn from and only a couple I would choose not go go with again. By and large they are not using it as a staging post on the way to the airlines.

[sheffieldlad]

Thanks for the great replies everyone.

I think I'm going to do it in the UK.
Going to the USA would be a fantastic experience but I think it makes more sense to find a flying school nearer to home.

Paul.