Hey you all, thanks very much for your good input!
Malc,
Of course I have thought about it, but you need 1,000 tt flown commercially with an airline company in order to convert the FAA CPL/IR to JAR, don't you? Otherwise it won't be recognized. So I guess the FAA way would not be my best bet. If I managed to solve the visa problem out of the blue (greencard lottery or meeting an American bird ;-) ), I definitely plan on moving to the States for some longer time and doing the FAA route. However, before I don't get a go ahead upon the visa issue I plan on doing a JAA training.
My first license will be the PPL, and if trained with EFT, I'll have it both as FAA and JAA license respectively. I then could still decide where I go from there once I graduate from University in a couple of years.
Personally, I think the FAA flight training towards the ATPL is the best option, not only in terms of costs. There's one Floridian flight school I know, which offers all training from zero experience up to CFII /MEI for "only" $30K. Of course I'd have to do lots of instructing before I could move on to further endeavors. On the other hand, in terms of cost efficiency the US way is the most reasonable way of earning the ATPL. Additionally, I think US pilots have generally gained way more experience prior to seeking airline employment, which is definitely a big plus. Unfortunately, I cannot choose this option before I'm not granted a permanent US work permit.
Anyway, thanks for your suggestion!
Last edited by stefair; 12th Feb 2005 at 22:56.