Slim-Slag. As a British citizen I cannot live and work in the USA as a pilot. So it has never been an option to be regulated by the FAA. Neither would it have saved me any money to conduct any part of my training there.
Hence I have never flown stateside.
I am positive that GA there is brilliant for many reasons of which FAA regulation plays a small part.
On my substantive point about a more rapid career progression under JAA you surely must concede. It is entirely possible for people to spend circa £40,000/12 months and then apply to large jet operators in the UK with a reasonable expectation of an interview.
I personally know of dozens and dozens of people with 200hrs who have jumped straight into an Aer Lingus, Airtours or BA jet airliner the month after they finished training. All of those didn't have to pay for their training - remind me of which US airlines under FAA regulation sponsor cadet pilots? Ah, none.
Then there are the numerous self sponsored students I have taught who are now flying in airline ops. Most start on a little over £30k and move up to £40k within a year or two - twice the UK national average male wage.
Of course during the current crisis all this has stopped.
But then the EU airline industry has not furloughed thousands and thousands of pilots so things are nowhere near as bad as in the US.
Happy flying Stateside.
WWW