Alphamale,
On an ICAO PPL (i.e which a FAA PPL is) you are allowed to fly UK registered aircraft in the UK but are limited to day VFR flying only and I expect you are also limited to flying in UK airspace. So as for your plan to do an FAA PPL in order to commence ATPL Ground school, that should be fine. You will obvioulsy need to few hours to get used to UK airspace, but that shouldn't be a major problem.
Avoid doing any JAA approved training in the US, there is nothing wrong with the training standards, it is just in the US schools also tend to charge extra for the JAA approval compared to the equivalent FAA course. So do the FAA CPL as well then convert both the CPL and IR back in the UK. Remember converting the FAA ratings isn't necessarily cheaper but there are still a number of N reg aircraft in the UK so it is useful to have both JAA and FAA ratings. Also in your position you could get a J1 visa and work in the US as an instructor, so do FAA CPL, IR and FAA CFI, instruct FAA stuff in the US for a year. That way you could be working as an instructor while studying for your JAA ATPL thoery ( I do believe Naples offer ATPL thoery course in the US or did). That way at the end of the year you could have a 1000 hours, ATPL theory passed and ready to convert to the JAA CPL and IR.
Last edited by portsharbourflyer; 25th Mar 2008 at 21:57.