I don't know if the answers have been clear about the "can I gather hours" question, maybe they have, but I just didn't get it that clearly.
If you choose to do as you say, and collect hours from around the globe as you travel, you can put those in your log book, and they will count toward the 50 hours you need in order to become a pilot.
However, think of it like learning something else, maybe driving a car, or how to be a surgeon.
You will take lessons from someone who will give you advice and training, you will spend a couple hours with this person learning how to, let's say keep the ball centred while in a climb. Then you are going to switch instructors and the first thing they will want to do is train you to keep the ball centred while in a climb, but you already know how to do that, so you will spend 15 minutes showing them that you can do that.
The next instructor will require you to demonstrate everything you've learned so far, and the next, etc.
So, by the time you're ready to solo, you will need to show this new instructor that you can do all the required things for solo, which will probably take you 2 or 3 hours to demonstrate.
Then, this instructor will be ready to have you solo, but your 3 hours are up, and you're going to be training on the other side of the world next week. So then you have to convince that instructor that you're ready to solo, which will take 2 or 3 hours, etc.
But let's look at it another way.
Let's say you have an instructor at your home airport, and you see them once a week or once every other week for instruction.
Then, you go for a trip to Tahiti and go down to the airport there and have a flight around the islands there, and the instructor signs your log book and you have an additional 2 or 3 hours.
But those hours, even though they will "count" for the 50 hours, won't really count, because you will not have learned anything more than you've already learned.
Meanwhile, you come back to your home airport and your instructor is impressed because you're practice in Tahiti shows in that you can maintain straight and level better than you could the week before.
In other words, "gathering" hours will mean that it will take longer and cost more to get your license, but when you're done you will have additional experience and have a head start on getting the hours that you will need to be able to hire a helicopter.
edit:
I have re-read this and it doesn't emphasise the most important point.
If you do decide to "gather hours" you should have a "home" airport and instructor, and get "all" your instruction from there.
When you go to other places and want to "gather hours" then go for a "joy ride" or "introductory flight" with another instructor, but get your real instruction "at home"
Last edited by darkroomsource; 22nd Jun 2015 at 08:51.