I reckon if you have got the ability and have the balls to play the game go for it.
I did the semi US the rest Uk and it cost about 30k three years ago including a FI rating.
If you can get it for the prices mentioned on this thread it means your starting with a type rating for the same cost as someone with a MCC and CPL/IR UK training wise.
To be honest the more i see of people flying the less it is about where you did your training and more about the person. If the extra 15-20K gets the interview it is money well spent if not...
It may mean you go striaght in on Jet on 30-40k a year as an FO or without its 18-25k on turboprop.
Things are changing. Although out of the market for quite a few months now all I hear about is people getting jobs. Line trainers are commenting on low hours (and thats not a negative thing just more work for them on the handling but less on the bad habits, 6 months down the line no difference)
Its a personal prefference thing and a cost there will be 10% out there who can manage the route described and there is another 70% who will struggle and just make it and 20% who it will cost more for.
Personally as an ex FI i would recomend doing the PPL in the UK just to get into the British way of doing things but.... I didn't and now know how much extra work it meant and i did get through in min hours. BUt the CPL/IR was more work than it should have been.
People don't like being told you can do it cheaper than they did. Hence the multiple threads about intergrated and modular with both sides fighting there corners. With many FTO's posting covering with blind users ID's.
Unfortunatly even pilots that qualified 6 months ago are out of the system and really can't give a reasonable opinion on any flight school.
I used to think AAA were a bunch of fleecing bastards but the last 5 people who i have spoken to thought they had value for money and the price they paid seemed reasonable.
OAT I used to think were the best thing for ground but apprently all the decent instructors have left. And i also hear that the CAA is not happy with the full question bank CD rom which they are giving students which is why everyone is getting shafted with new questions coming on line every month.
My old land lord has just done his brush up with Bristol and wasn't very impressed with a couple of instructors especially the AKN who is appernetly the best in the knowledge side of things but can't teach a room to save his life.
Its a bloody nightmare choosing schools etc and 1 month down the line all previous opinions arn't really valid.
Good luck people I am glad i don't have to choose again.
MJ