Hi, I'm currently enrolled in the NEAR integrated ATPL program. I've been in the US for about 8 months now, and will probably do my CPL next week or the week thereafter. Looking for about 10 months to finish flying here, and I am lucky.
NAIA (the US part) has had definite problems with lack of instructors and airplanes as a result of the negative trend in the market the last few years. However they are now on the rise and things seem to be going the right way. I do believe more airplanes are in the coming, class sizes grow steadily, and things are being worked with.
The NEAR part of the program has supposedly had issues as well - however I cannot really tell, because I will not be doing anything in Ålesund until another 14 months or so. But they get the guys through, and everyone gets their CPL/IR/ME fATPL MCC somehow.
Might not be the cheapest around, but it does give you the opportunity to go to the US and gain 1000-1500 hrs total time, some get even more. Surely more schools do that as well, but what's less common is the fact that NEAR runs an integrated ATPL program, which means there is no conversion when you get back to Europe - we fly with JAA approved instructors and train for JAR requirements alongside the FAA training.
So I'm happy for now
