My dad did UK PPL 20 years or so ago and it took him over a year flying out of a muddy field in the North UK. Weather, lesson scheduling, his job and aircraft downtime were all to blame but he persevered and finished his license.
At 76 he still flies and enjoys every second of it, now on NPPL rather than PPL due to less stringent medical requirements.
In 1994 I had 2 weeks free between jobs and travelled to Van Nuys CA to do the FAA ASEL the intensive way.
I had done the ground stuff in 2 weekends prior to going at Bristol Airport with the excellent Rory O'Carrol of American Aviation Services and got the theory test out of the way the day I arrived.
Accomodation (nice condo with pool which I didn't see much of), airport transfers and exam costs were thrown in to the package.
Took me 50 or so hours (day and night) some hours flying 6-9 hrs per day in a little C150 to get up to speed.
Soloed day 5, license in hand day 14, back to blighty day 15. Job done.
I have only vague recollections of how much it cost - but it was approx 50% of what my dad paid (including all the extras).
Of course at that time 9/11 had not happened and the immigration/visa side was more straightforward.
Was I safe when I returned?
IMHO as safe as any person who had spent the same amount of time flying in the UK. In addition to this I had had to cross the Sierra Nevada in a C150 in turbulence and strong winds at 10,500 ft on my solo cross country, show me a UK PPL student who has ever had to lean the engine? Also the 5 hrs of night was excellent fun and great experience, popping the lights on at some far flung airport by clicking 7 times on the PCL frequency and then landing was such a hoot.
Is intensive training better?
For me, yes without a doubt, I didn't get a chance to forget anything I had learned the day before!
The biggest downer on returning to the UK (other than the bloody awful weather) was my new FAA license being met with patronising glances and raised eyebrows by individuals whose (rustbucket) club aircraft I attempted to rent. The general attitude was "How dare I be so young and have an American ticket - surely I must be a worse pilot for not having learned in the UK?" I visited several flying clubs prior to settling on doing a conversion to PA-28 at modern air in Fowlmere with the excellent Kevin Ambrose-Hunt.
Since that time I have added an FAA IR (2000), CAA PPL(H) and owned (outright) a total of 4 aircraft (2 fixed wing and 2 helicopters).
I have now accrued almost 1000hrs fixed wing and 600hrs rotary.
I fly on an almost daily basis throughout the year and use aviation to commute to the places I work (weather permitting).
I have no regrets about going the FAA fixed wing route.
It was far cheaper back then and most importantly (for me) allowed me to get the license (which like any other license is just a license to learn) in a convenient way.
It doesn't matter one iota where you do your basic training - which all has to be done in VMC anyway. Clouds in the US are just the same as clouds in the UK (although somewhat less endemic) and entering them is not allowed if you are a student pilot in either jurisdiction.
Where you learn to fly is an individual choice - you could be lining up after a departing citation jet or 737 (having had to get the ATIS then speak to clearance delivery, ground and tower) at one of the busiest airports in the world or walking across a muddy field with soggy shoes and damp socks to climb into an aircraft that is so damp that the avionics are dodgy even in the summer. (The former scenario will ensure far better radio patter when you do eventuall fly into somewhere big)
The most important thing is recognising that just like a driving license having a pilot's license does not necessarily confer good judgement skills. These come with experience which can only be gained with time.
Here endeth the sermon according to Scooter Boy.
