CAA PPL & seeking further training in US
Hi All,
About 2 years ago, I got my PPL during one of many trips back to the UK from China. I was able to enjoy it for a while after I went back again in October 2019, but since COVID hit, I was stuck in China as I had no way back into the country if I left. So I've been grounded until very recently, when I moved to Singapore. I did actually join a flying club in Singapore, but there are a few issues:
- You can't fly either Sing or N registered aircraft with a CAA license, so I started out as a PUT again, which was fine as I was out of practice, had not flown many hours on a C 172 and didn't know the area. As you can imagine, Singapore airspace is extremely tiny and not a lot of fun for private flying. It's also very expensive, per hour rate is higher than the UK and landing fees ever for touch and go's are kind of ridiculous. However it did allow me to return to a decent degree of currency again with a good instructor.
- I got a piggy back FAA license off my UK license, which allows me to fly N-reg aircraft here.
- Unfortunately, my SEP rating is about to expire and I have no way of renewing it in Singapore and my FAA license depends on the currency of the CAA license.
I can now either:
- Fly back to the UK in a hurry after doing my 12 hours (6 hours as PIC) in Singapore just to do a 1 hour revalidation flight with a UK instructor and quaratntine for 3 weeks after coming back. I would have to go there out of pocket as I have no viable business reasons to go there.
- Let my rating expire and redo the skills test at a more convenient time in the UK; the last one was ok, but it was pretty tiring after 3 hours, if I understand correctly, restoring an expired rating with an examiner is less intense?
- Go to the US and do a check ride with an examiner there to get a separate FAA license. I would actually hope to start working on some more complex aircraft flying/IR stuff while getting to know the area with an instructor. Also, my company is from the US, so I actually have good business reasons to go there too.
I am leaning towards the last option, but advice would be welcome. I figure a good school could help me further my skills while prepearing for a check ride and I figure I need to be good enough to pass a skills test to be safe anyway.
I have no intention of becoming a professional pilot, but I would like to get a ME/IR rating just for private flying eventually.
However, having never flown in the US, I'd like to ask for some advice:
- Are there good resources you know of for looking at what flight schools are really good and which ones are not?
- Having a choice of anywhere to fly in the US, what seems like a good idea? My company is in Georgia, so either there around Atlanta or pretty much anywhere in Florida seems like a good idea. Or maybe even Tenessee or Alabama? But I could go further afield if it makes sense. Please share your thoughts.
Thanks!