The European cost of fuel can be tempered by going in and out of the UK, The Republic of Ireland and the Channel islands with the drawback of duty on the fuel.
I agree. But then you're no longer flying a spam can (I hope).
The Europe vs USA cost issue is not as clear as in might seem and requires a lot of looking...
+1 on that. Of course you have to do some research into such a project.
- how much time do I have
- how many hours do I need / want
- how much value do I place on seeing things and making it enjoyable
- what are the exact costs; which expenditure is truly different (surplus / benefit)
the extra training that you are likely to require when you return to Europe for your ATPL course as undoubtedly you will need some extra navigation training to pass the skills test in a European environment.
That is making the wrong assumption that "Europe" is a homogeneous flying environment, especially as regards navigation and RT. Flying in Spain is different from flying in France is different from flying in Belgium is different from flying in the UK.
I agree that a dozen hours or so in the FIR where you are going to pass your skill test is a good idea and that you should not budget ALL your needed hours into the hour building exercise.
Would anyone be interested in hour building in Spain?
Potentially yes, but not on SE. You can PM me details (location, price, rental conditions, etc...) if the OP you went to rents out ME machines.