I started my PPL training in April 2009 in the UK. At present I'm waiting to do my cross country qualifier which has been in the books for a month. Weather is a big issue here at the wrong time of the year, but it's also bad in the states at some point too.
I am pleased to have trained in the uk around work (which has been flexible, allowing me to leave early, have half and full days off to
train - this has been helpful and needs to be done to make the most of instructor availability and weather). However I support the phrase "train where you intend to fly". If you want the brown book quickly do a JAA course out of Orman beach (as a friend did) but do your studying beforehand if you can. If you want to absorb things at a slower pace but still work then train in the uk. The instructors at my school on the south coast are very professional and wouldn't swap them for a month off in the states.
A friend of mine trained in Florida has struggled with getting checked out in the same model of a/c at the school I fly at. I think it took him 5 or 6 hours. One deadly example was he didn't use carb heat much in the states... Once he did pass he wanted to fly with me because he was unfamiliar with the area, airspace and radio so i took those off his hands for the first flight (he had also never done overhead joins before). This doesn't reflect the quality of teaching over there just using a friend as an example
