GColyer
"Ignore the Nay sayers about Florida training.
The R/T differences is not a pain in the ar**
The airspace differences is not a pain in the ar**
You will most likely learn a few more manouvers in the US than you will in the UK."
Amen to that.
Chukkablade, I'm sorry but I have to vehemently disagree with you.
"If you're going to fly in the UK learn in the UK - why exactly?"
Is it because it is more expensive?
Is it because you will have little continuity of lessons because of ****e weather (even in summer)?
Is it because the school machine you will be flying will often be an old wreck in the UK?
Is it because in the UK you will often be trained at a strip where RT will be minimal and not a busy airport and then flying into a busy airport will scare the crap out of you?
Think of all those nice landing fees?
Coupled with the astronomical price of avgas?
And to crown things nicely the bureaucracy of the CAA/JAR in terms of having to pay for a new license every few years - lovely! Don't we do well over here!
My advice: Go to the US, have fun, enjoy the weather, (see how aviation really should be done) and get your ticket quickly and inexpensively in genuinely busy airspace where you get to use the radio and fly at night. Then you can come back and realise that you need an IR anyway if you are going to fly seriously in Northern Europe (even in the alleged all too short summer that we have).
So then go back to the US and do an FAA/IR, buy a deiced N-reg machine and have the freedom of the skies.
Simple innit!
SB