I think that a few important points have been missed.
1. We had a US based flight instructor who teaches JAR saying how great it was that they were going to get grandfather rights from the CAA. This ver same instructor then turned around and asked what was the difference between an RTF and an FTO. This is basic JAR knowledge required for the PPL and how can we trust instructors who don't know the system themselves.
2. The old requirement to build hours post PPL has all but gone with the JAR 200 hour CPL. If one works it out then to fit all the training in leaves very little hour building time especially if a FI course is completed. After the 200 hour mark, there may well be a requirement but you now have a "professional pilot" hour building and most likely doing it as an instructor.
3. Under the old system, a UK licence holder was limited to UK airspace in an N registered aircraft unless they held a US licence. Now that JAR is here, a JAR licence holder is restricted to the JAR countries in the same situation leaving most of Europe available.
Training in the US is fine. However to operate within the FARs, certain differences exist. Even if they are good, they are differences. Therefore, I am of the opinion that after completing JAR training in the USA, students should be required to complete differences training before operating in Europe. Operating in unfamiliar airspace can be as much of a danger than operating an unfamiliar aircraft. Exemptions to such a requirement for students with certain previous experience of European operations.
DFC