Hi Jim,
So you have a JAA CPL/IR with 240hrs, this should not be too difficult to convert.
That said if you do not have a work permit then your only chance of working is by going through a school that is set up with a J-1 visa system.
If you are legally allowed to work, and make sure that you are otherwise there can be nasty repercussions for your career further down the line, then you should be allowed to stay in the US indefinitely anyways.
As for the conversion, the best way for you do to this would be through Part61 training usually at a school that offers both part141 and 61 (these are usually the ones that can offer the J-1 visa).
You are only 10hrs short of being able to hold a US CPL under part 61, the minimum number of hours for training for a rating or license is 3hrs. You need 250hrs for CPL issue.
You will have to also get your foreign pilot verification form sorted out. I am not too sure about this has I did not have to get it done as I was in the US and had the ratings before it was introduced. I believe that there is a link at the top of this forum.
After this you will want to get your medical sorted out, might as well get a class one there is not a lot of difference in the price between 1,2, and 3. It is up to you whether you do this in the UK or US.
Also take the written exams as early as you can, I did mine before I left the UK, but I now believe that there is no testing center in the UK.
So I had all the exams done before I was in the US, that way I could concentrate on the flying and oral material.
You will need to take IR (full one not foreign pilot one), CPL, FOI, and CFI. You may want to take the CFII at the same time, as the questions are almost identical to the IR.
Buy the Gleim or ASA books get hold of the computer testing if you can and go from there. The exams are valid for 24 calendar months. So valid time should not be an issue.
Also get your self a FAR/AIM and have a look through the relevant parts. 61,67,91, also read the AIM it has a lot of useful info.
The way that it is usually done is after your JAA PPL is converted to an FAA PPL you will then do the single engine IR. (Make sure you do the full one and not the foreign pilot one.)
After that you will do the single engine CPL, then you will do the multi-engine CPL/IR, this is done in one check ride.
After that it is CFI, CFII, MEI time.
There are a few differences in the check rides but nothing to get too excited about. The minimum time if you meet all the requirements is 3hrs in the last 60days.
Differences in the IR are a few of the requirements cannot remember what they are but it is all in the Practical Test Standards (PTS) what you will have to do. There is a PTS for each check ride.
For the CPL it will be the maneuvers that you will have to learn, Chandelles, Lazy Eights, Steep Spirals, Eights on Pylons, Precision 180. Short and Soft Field T/O and Landing, etc.
Multi should be fairly similar.
CFI CFII will be new for you anyways.
The best thing is to go into it all with an open mind you will waste a lot of time and money if you do what a lot of conversion students do and say, "Well in my country we do it this way." My reply is always well we are not in your country so lets do it this way as the Hobbs is running.
One thing that you will have to get used to will be Orals, these are not the little briefings that you have had in the JAA but are basically another exam before you even fly (can be after if weather is looking like it will crap out). They can vary from 1 1/2 hours for the PPL to anywhere in the all day range for the CFI.
There is an Oral guide released by ASA for each oral that will give guidance and example answers, the examiners know these by heart if all you do is spit out the answer, most of them will change question type, so if all you did is parrot learn you will be in deep doo doo.
Usually it would be 2-2.5hrs for the IR, 1.5-2hrs for the CPL, 1.5-2hrs for Multi. 3-6hrs for CFI, 2-3 hrs for CFII. These times vary depending on how well you are doing. Remember you can fail your Oral.
You may not meet all the hour requirements and cross country time. You will need to sit down with your instructor at the start and go through your logbook to see what is missing and what you need to do. Usually it is not too tedious and you should have most of the stuff covered already, just little things that are slightly different.
If you are thinking about becoming an instructor as you said that you are then may I suggest that you do as much of your flying and check rides from the right seat, there is no rule against this and this is how I cut down on some of the cost when I converted my licenses.
Also whilst you are doing it talk it out loud as if you were teaching.
Make sure that you have all the funds and add and extra 30%, they will always quote a minimum.
Also look at where you want to live and work when in the US. It can be expensive if you want to live in California or New York.
Look where you want to flight train, the desert is nice, but it is really hot (Obvious I know), although the winter is nice. Some places will be like the UK in the winter or worse. I sat on the ground for 2 weeks when I arrived as it was 200-300OVC everyday and was doing the CPL part.
When you get to do the CFI, I recommend making a briefing book, it will help clarify the lessons until you have enough experience, also it is good when you have not taught something for a while to be able to look it up quickly.
So I think that I have covered as much as I could this evening.
If there is anything you would like me to cover in more detail just post the question and I am sure that someone or myself will be able to help you.
Safe flying,
-273
Web Pages:
FAR/AIM:
http://www.landings.com/evird.acgi$pass*64487799!_h-www.landings.com/_landings/pages/regulations.html
FAA Books and stuff:
http://afs600.faa.gov/srchSimple.asp...=Page+1&title=