Surely there must be at least 3 figures of flying schools in the USA where one could do one's FAA PPL and/or IR checkride.
One will be wise to do some flying there first. One has to get signed off as ready for the checkride, by an FAA CFI or CFII as appropriate. By all accounts it helps to do this bit of flying at the school where the checkride will be taken. The FAA system is less formal and works on getting a general picture of the student and his overall ability and approach, not just whether he can do the prescribed checkride items. Just turning up for the checkride only will ensure the most grilling oral (3 hours is very possible) and that is before you do the checkride.
I am no axe grinder and have no current business interest in anything aviation related. But, currently, I'd be exceedingly wary of anyone promising to arrange a checkride in the UK. Either pay only when the examiner is right there, or if you are mad enough to pay in advance, pay with a CREDIT card and get the purpose of the payment in writing. It's quite easy to do a few hours with a "I know an examiner" FAA CFII, get signed off for the checkride, and the examiner never turns up. 60 days later the training expires and you have to do it all again. This sums up 2005 for a number of people, and I only narrowly avoided it myself.
The only reliable way I know of is an arrangement between the pilot and the examiner directly, no flight training individual or organisation being involved in the middle. Quite expensive, because there is nobody else to share the cost with.
Last edited by IO540; 24th Oct 2005 at 12:43.