I have been looking into this and it seems to be a whole lot of hassle for the sake of 1 or 2 hours. Spoke to a nice guy in Monarch Sky and got this......
If you want to fly N-registered airplanes (U.S. registered), you can easily validate your foreign private pilot license into an American one issued by the FAA. As compared to the European validation procedure, the American one is simple. It’s only a matter of paperwork. See the respective 14 CFR 61.75 regulation (Private pilot certificate issued on the basis of a foreign pilot license) for complete details.
The simplicity sits in the fact that you do not need any extra flight tests, paper or exams, you do not need an extra medical certificate and the procedure is free of charge. All restrictions applicable on your foreign license do apply of course.
First, you should submit your data to the FAA via their website. Then you get a letter stating that the FAA is investigating the validity of your foreign pilot license. They therefore contact the foreign CAA. Once they get confirmation, you get an invitation letter for you to go to a local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) . There is one in Las Vegas. Usually, you must visit one in the USA. At the FSDO (you need an appointment), you just show up with all relevant paperwork, and if all goes well you get a temporary pilot certificate (valid for 6 months) on the spot!
I had a look at the forms and all that and it seems way to much hassle and paperwork to go through to go flying for a couple of hours. I havnt had this hassle in the past in florida, or even the last time I was in Vegas in 2003.
Can anyone shed anymore light on this for me?