Private license in USA

[johor]

Can anyone recommend a good flight school in the USA to undertake a full-time private license course. I hear it is much cheaper and have checked out many sites online which seem to confirm this.

Also, are there any problems converting a US license to an Australian license?

Many thanks in advance,

Adam

[crank1000]

What you must remember when looking on Amercian websites is what they don't say on them. There is a possibility that the tax isn't included in the quoted price. This is because all the state's have different tax rates so you apply the tax for whatever state you live in to the price. Some dont put the price of fuel on the quote either. Lastly, all the prices you see are based on you finishing in minimum time. Which rarely happens.

When you return you will have to sit the PPL exam just like everyone else and do a flight test. I can almost say for sure that a school wont let you near an ATO (the person you fly with who can give you an australian PPL) without doing at least 3 or 4 flights of 2 hours each to see where your "at" so to speak.

I would research this very carefully before buying a ticket to LA,SF or the like.

[VEEWHY]

Got my US PPL in 2001 while working there. On return to Aus I had the option of flying with a CASA issued Special Pilot Licence (SPL) based on my US licence or converting to an Aust PPL by sitting a conversion exam ( based on air law and air ops only - called PAOS) then a PPL flight test. If you go with the SPL option you wont be able to gain futher endorsements or ratings in Aus until you convert to the Aussie PPL. Certainly this was the case a few years ago. Shop around though. I rushed in and ended up changing schools not long after going solo. When I started in 1999 I was being paid in USD. Cost was US$60 per hour for a C172 and US$25 per hour for the instructor. Really have no idea what you would be paying now. Hope this helps. Vy

[jay700]

The state of Oregon does not have any state tax. This will certainly ease the pain in the hip pocket. There is an ATP flying school in Salem OR.

[harvs17]

I'm an Aussie currently doing my ratings at Westwind in Phoenix AZ. The price to rent a 172S is $129 an hour or $124 for a 172R. The instructor is $59 an hour on top of that. You don't pay tax if you fly with an instructor as you are receiving instruction, only if you fly solo. You can check out their website as they have all the pricing for their courses and are up front with what it will cost you unlike other schools which only quote mins. The price for the private they quote I believe is for the 172R.
http://www.westwindaviation.com/
It's expensive, but not a bad school and people there are have been great. The scheduling is very flexible and you pay as you go, not up front. Planes are in great shape and all pretty new, some have glass cockpits also with the G1000 and maintenance is on the ball. By the way, ATP flights schools only accept US citizens. Cheers.

[spacepodlife]

Johor, check your PM