JAA or FAA PPL?

[ChewyTheWookie]

Sorry folk, this is the third thread i've started today but i'm trying to find out as much info as possibly before I book my trip to the USA!

Should I go for a JAA PPL or a FAA one?

I plan to do the occasional flight in the UK, taking friends up etc, but do all my hour building in the USA. At the moment the license is just to look good on a CV, but in future i'd like to turn it into a commercial license with all the addons (night, instruments etc...)

If I did a JAA PPL at one of the approved schools in the USA I know i'd have to do a few hours with instructors at my local flying club before i could fly solo anyway. How much more would I have to do when I return home if I had a FAA license?

If I have a JAA PPL, would I be able to simply fly off to the USA to add some hours (after a check ride obviously) or would I need to keep my FAA medical and everything up to date as well?

If I ignore all the JAR compliant PPL crap from UKFT, is it worth doing their course simply for a FAA license? There prices seem good and I'd prefer to do the course at Lancaster. The only time I have available is in July/August and I'd like to avoid hurricane season in Florida...

[VisaGeeza]

I would suggest that you get the CAA PPL but it's too late!:(

It's pretty much of a muchness when it comes to flying in the UK, you can fly in the UK on an FAA licence and you can fly in the USA on a JAA licence (always provided that you get the necessary conversion). I think a lot of people who have spent a ridiculous amount of cash getting a PPL in the UK will have particular suspicions about US trained pilots so it is probably best on balance to get a JAA licence. Do be careful though, a some places in the states con you into believing that you will actually get a JAA PPL at the end of your training but then you only get a conversion which means that you end up with an FAA licence after all. This can lead to complications if you want to fly in France or Spain for instance.

[Julian]

As VisaGeeze says, at PPL stage it doesnt really matter if you do JAA or FAA. You can still fly in the respective countries subject to certain conditions being met.

Some schools in the UK will try and con you by saying that if you trained in the US and hold an FAA PPL then you will require 10-15 hours training on your return - my advice is run a mile, they are just after your money. I did 2 checkouts at different clubs (White Waltham & Bournemouth) and was signed off at both after an hours checkout.

You question doesnt actually say what you intend to do after your PPL though, are you going on up the ranks via the JAA or FAA route of just stopping at the PPL?

Julian.

[flyingfemme]

Think ahead.......you said that you'd like to "turn it into" a CPL eventually. Do you have the right to work in the USA? There isn't much work for an FAA CPL in Europe (private/corporate jet stuff is about all).

You are probably best to do the JAA course and find somewhere that can give you a "double checkride". Have both, why not?

Whatever bit of paper you get there will be a checkout to do before anybody rents you their aircraft. So from that point of view there isn't much difference.

[Frank Furillo]

I have both FAA and JAA PPL. If you are going straight in to JAA CPL then all you really need is a ICAO PPL (FAA is okay I believe, I am not at home so I cannot cheak my copy of Lasors).
Hope this helps, also if you do get a FAA PPL then a JAA conversion you must keep the FAA current to keep the JAA one current as well. However I have no real intention of flying on my PPL now I have my CPL.
FF