Hi David,
I just got back in April after 18 months in Florida where I gained my FAA ratings up to my multi commercial.
I have always wanted to fly and when myself and my dad decided that it was possible for me to train we were advised that the FAA was the best way. We flew over to Florida and looked at a number of schools around Daytona and Orlando and of course the people at the schools reinforced that the FAA way was the best, telling of cheaper fuel, 360 flying days a year (which even there is not true), the speed in which students finish the course and thus enabling them to become instructors logging hundreds of hours. When we came back a quick look at the prices of the UK schools which at the time I was no where near being able to afford and the fact that it was raining (not much has changed!!!) I got my visa and in september 2005 I was on my way to Daytona.
The reason that I came back to England was basically I was adviced to by people working in the Uk aviation business, saying why was i flying in America if i want to fly in Europe!? I was going to stay out longer and instruct like my friends have but after finishing my last few flights for my commercial and logging the 100 hours P1 I needed I moved back and started a full time class room ATPL. Since moving back and pretty much coming to the end of my ATPL's I have had quite a few negative comments about the FAA way and how bad the training was which I think is a bit harsh.
I actually think that there is a lot to be said about the FAA system works having experienced it. They do more flying and less theory, in 18 months I logged over 350 hrs, 100 of which are multi. I was flying in and out of one of America's top 25 busiest airports (movement wise) so I am use to busy airspace. The airspace is all controlled so you can fly VFR IFR 24 hours a day, I logged 50 hours night which is a lot more than the people i know training here and of course its a lot cheaper living and flying out there, I only paid one landing fee, that was at Miami where I took my seneca on the way back from Key West it had to be done and what a feeling that was.
Did it save me any money, after ATPL's and converting NO, infact I will have probably spent a similar amount of money as if I had gone to Oxford, my friend went to Oxford and 18 months after he started he was employed to fly a 737 for a charter airline, he loves it and is on good money. Did it prepare me for my Theory here?? NO!! but then I do sometimes feel like I am being taught how to build the plane rather than fly it. Would I do it do it all over again?? yeah I think so, I have some great memories, I have done things that I would never have dreamed of, made some great friends (mostly Europeans) and I lived the life of an American for nearly 2 years, more than what a lot of people I went to school with. But would I recommend it?? sadly NO I dont think I would. Although America is pretty geared up for flying if your daughter wants to fly in Europe then I would suggest training here, you have to give yourself the best opportunity's of getting a job, I am not aware of any one who walked in to a job after doing there training in America, I am sure there are!! If she wants to stay in America, well I have some friends who have managed extending there stay, wether they stay for ever I don't know, to me its just putting off the ATPL's and the bad weather.
If you both do decide that it is the right thing to train there then make sure you do your home work on the school, some one once pointed out that there were no American's at my school, that was because they had all got fed up with the ever increasing prices and the management so they bogged off, unfortunatly, I had a visa which pretty much limited to the place's that i could train to the one!! Also look at JAA schools in America, I beleive that Oxford and another UK school sends its students to do most of the flying in America, that proves that the America can't be that bad!!!
I am sorry , I have typed more than I thought but I hope that this helps, If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask, its a big decision and one that you need to get correct!!