California Flight Schools with European rating training OR knowledge?

[zondaracer]

G-RICH,

I completely understand the OP; I didn't tell her to forget about Europe, but rather to keep it as a longer term goal and refocus her short term plans.
I am also an American and I also moved to Europe and I prefer European living over American living. In the US, I've witnessed shootings in my neighborhood, seen the police helicopter with the search light in my yard, had neighbors repeatedly robbed, seen a kid whip out a gun at my high school, known people affected by a high school massacre, had my high school on lock down due to bomb threats on the same day as said massacre (which happened only 8 miles away), and even had an elderly neighbor murdered by a shooting. But the point of my thread wasn't about politics, social healthcare, or guns, but strictly from a pilot career point of view. (by the way, Switzerland has the highest gun ownership per capita)

Having said that, as an American who has done the JAA conversion and holds both licenses, the OP is better off choosing either a pilot career or living in Europe, because for a non-Euro passport holder starting a pilot career from scratch, the idea of building a European pilot career is a romantic idea but not very viable.

I was merely offering my view point from a similar point of view. To reiterate: OP should get her FAA ratings and work her way up to a regional. Build up some time on an aircraft with a relevant type such as EMB 170/190. Then if she gets residency to work in Europe and the job situation turns around here, knock out the 14 exams, convert directly to an ATPL with a type rating. This will give her a much better chance at finding a job in Europe than starting out with no experience and 250 hrs, competing against all the Europeans who have been looking for a job for the past couple years and have little or no experience, and the conversion will have been easier and perhaps even less costly. Keep in mind that most airlines in Europe are currently asking for unrestricted European passports, not just right to work.