USA hourbuilding + IR(SE)?

[Flying-dutch]

Hello,
If all goes well, soon I will have my EASA PPL(H) and after that I go for EASA ATPL(H) so I'm looking into hourbuilding.
Since I go for ATPL(H) I want to use my hourbuilding to build some skills and get me ready for the CPL exam and not fly aroung for the sake of getting the hours.
I need about 80 hours to fly and want to do some of it in the USA.
Now the questions is it smart to:
- fly 40 cheap hours in USA and do 40 hours in the UK, supervised by the flightschool where afterwards I will do CPL(H).
- fly 80 cheap hours in the USA and let them supervise/advise me on the flying. Afterwards going back to the UK to do CPL(H).

And does it make any sence to go for an IR (SE) in a R22 in the USA if my aim is to go for an EASA IR(ME) ?

If I go to the USA I'm thinking to do it in Florida in the Miami area, anyone disagrees and has a better option?
Using the Pprune search I came up with:
Florida flyers
Jerry trimble helicopters (Oregon)
Ocean Helicopters
I want to go there in June or August/september, depends on when I can do the ATPL exams.
How much days is sensible to count to do 40 hours of solo flying in a R22, 7-8 hours a day or is that too optimistic?
The next step will be to look into the paperwork I need to do and find out that everything I do in the USA will count towards my EASA license. According to the US flightschools I contacted it shouldn't be a problem, but I know EASA has a grey area here.
Hours done with a CFI are PIC according to FAA but EASA sometimes rejects that :eek:.
The whole idea is to save some money by doing some cheaper hourbuilding and also get experience in a different airspace/situation but it would be :mad: if when I get home, the hours I've build are not PIC..
Thx,
Chris

[HillerBee]

Obviously you are going to do the ATPL Theoretical knowledge, as you won't be able to get the license until you have 1200 hours, 350 multi crew and a bit more.

Second of all hour building in Florida is oke, but something you shouldn't do in the Summer. It is way to hot and in every afternoon you will have severe thunderstorms. (when I say severe, I mean nothing you've ever seen in the UK)

When flying with an instructor under instruction the instructor is PIC. For the FAA you can log it as PIC (if you have a license) but EASA will not accept that.

With a fresh PPL, I doubt it would be safe to fly more than 3 hours a day.

[Gordy]

get experience in a different airspace/situation

You need to ask yourself what the primary purpose of the trip is. Why not go somewhere on the West side of the country and get mountain time too, or do you just want to play in Miami.

[Flying-dutch]

Thx for the reply.

[hillerbee]
Yes it will be a frozen ATPL until I logged those hours. Till then it will be a CPL(H) + IR.
So the latest I should go is June or after November to skip thunderstorm season.
Any insight about FAA IR(SE) on a R22 in the US ?

[gordy]
Yes the west side (oregon) is also an option. I have to look into the weather for august there.
But for real mountain time, I need a mountain course I think? If I do that there, then that will be an FAA mountain course and I haven't looked into it if I can convert that to EASA.
And about play, flying comes first in every way !. So I want to get the most out of every hour I fly during hourbuilding.
Night rating, R44, mountain course and maybe something else I haven't thought of yet but I think that's best to do in an EASA state since I will have an EASA license.

[Art of flight]

A long time since I flew R22, is it actually possible to do an IR in one?

[Flying-dutch]

[art of flight]

I never heard it can be done in a R22 but the flight school offered it to me, this it what they wrote:

"You may also be interested in doing your instrument rating on the way to your CPL. Having an FAA IR can make it easier to get an EASA one in the fuutre. here we can do it in the R22 while at home I know you have to use a twin turbine, so cost difference is huge!"

[herman the crab]

Get out to California in the LA area and do the Robinson safety course whilst here. Plenty of challenging flying can be arranged!

Not sure where it is now but there was an IFR R22 trainer at Long Beach years back. Don't know how many were built or are still flying though.

HTC

[chester2005]

Los Angeles Helicopters did have a R22 IFR trainer, in fact at one point they had 2!!
Based at Long Beach airport they're a good bunch of guys and there's lot of good flying can be done in and around that area.

chester:ok::ok:

[rotorfan]

Helistream also had a R22 IFR trainer, many moons ago when I flew with them while in the LA area.

chris-tt, don't fret the thunderstorms in Florida. It's common to have convective activity when you're in an area with heat and humidity, and afternoon thunderstorms are the result. But, these tend to be cells more than storm systems hundreds of miles wide. So, fly earlier in the day before the CBs build. The appeal of Florida is more probability of suitable VMC conditions, but surely less diversity of conditions that teach you about flying. As Gordy mentioned, you could get far more exposure to different terrain and climates that might be much better for experience if you were in places other than Florida.

[helimutt]

In my experience you wont necessarily save a great deal of money when you factor in accomodation, living costs, travel, insurance (you will need to get some), licence and medical conversions, and then, the EASA bods probably wont let you log any time as P1 if it was with an isntructor in USA. From my experience, I tried that route, and in the end came back and did it cheaper in the UK. It may have changed but I wouldnt advise doing a great deal of flying over there. Sure, go do some. The IR is another issue. Yes you can do it in an R22, but you can also get the same sort of procedural training in a standalone box at places like Helicopter Services in Wycombe I think.
Thing is, you still need the Multi engine rating before doing the IR course. It's still not going to be cheap, and the ATPL itself is a long way off. Make sure you hit all the requirements in the time allowed. I fell foul of the 36 month rule (not sure if its changed now) and had to do all IR exams:ugh:

Most of all, try to just get as much out of the flying as possible. Visit places. Dont just bash the circuit. Do cross countries. Visit companies. Be pro-active for the future, wherever you fly. And good luck.

all of the above may have changed since I did my training what with EASA but I can bet its still a minefield.