PPL Training in Florida - an honest View

[destinationsky]

Here is an honest view of a 3 week PPL course in America.
There are a lot of opinionated people in these forums. The people who say that if you are learning to fly, do it in the country you are going to fly in. The people who say you dont get any "weather" in Florida. The people who say the standard of training in Florida is not as good.
Well, having come back recently from the States after completing my PPL, i would like to share my experiences with those of you who plan to go to America to train. I am not affiliated with any training school. My views expressed in this post are unbiased.
I got my inheritance early as my Dad has Alzheimers and he always wanted me to go off and achieve my dreams. I have always wanted to fly so what better way to spend some of the inheritance than by doing my PPL.
I decided to go to the States for an adventure. 5000 miles from home on my own, meeting a new bunch of people doing something i love. Perfect! As mentioned previously, alot of people expressed their negative opinions.
However, one good piece of advice was to visit the schools first. Not so easy when you are across the Atlantic. Luckily i went to Florida for a holiday prior to training so i managed to look at a few schools. OBA (now EASA) and EFT. Its all well and good looking at the pretty pictures on flashy websites but you cant get a good "feel" for the place untill you visit in person. I appreciate this is not always possible, but i was lucky to be able to. I chose EFT. The deciding factor was the reviews as found in these forums. (do a search!) and also google the schools to see what reviews appear.
So, upon my return to the UK, i started my application. After going through the rigmarole of the visa application etc, i got accepted by EFT and by the U.S government.
The day of departure arrived and i boarded the 777 at Heathrow. I had a nice shower from the air-con duct courtesy of BA (but thats another story!)
After 9 hours of rubbish food, i landed at MCO. i was met by the deputy CFI and taken to Fort Pierce to begin training.
The accommodation was average but comfortable and is shared between 4 other students. you get your own room with bathroom. Now, enough of the sales pitch - the houses are as i said "average." if you want 5 star, dont live in the shared houses. Having said that, they are very cheap in comparison to a hotel and only 2 minutes from the school. Its also nice sharing with other students as they can help you with any training questions you have and you make friends quicker.
The aircraft fleet were good. Saying that, i only flew the PA28'S. They were in good condition and i had no problems with availability or maintenance.
The standard of training was excellent. I went to EFT with less than an hour logged and within 6 days i went solo and passed the skills test in a further 14 days. I think aslong as you put the work in and are seen to be doing so, EFT will bend over backwards to help you. If you need any help there is always somebody about to help. If you want to moan, there's always somebody to listen.
The weather was good most of the time. Now, for those of you who say there is no weather in Florida - how about the thunderstorms and fast moving rain showers?! On my skills test, the METAR said cloud at 3000. By the time i got airborne 10 mins later - heavy showers with cloud at 1300feet. Time for an early nav diversion!
On my 4th day of training we were on the tail end of a thunderstorm. Cut throttle with full forward pressure and still climbing in the up draughts. Thats weather! Flying in Florida gives you a feeling of how quickly weather can change and how important proper precise planning will prevent poor performance (see what i did there!)
Now the downsides. No busy airspace! I am spending time with an instructor to get used to the different classes of airspace. The only other downside is the relaxed RT. great when you are learning as its less pressure but not so good when you come back to the UK! again, spending time with an instructor here will bring me up to speed.
Cost was always a factor. including flights and visa costs, i saved £2000. i will say no more!
3 weeks was a hard slog and it is in no way easy. There is a lot of studying to pass the 7 exams and it is very tiring. Dont go out to Florida with the illusion that it is a holiday. If you go with that attitude, you will not get anything from the experience.
I met some great people during my time at EFT so if any of you are reading this, thanks for making it a great experience.
I would recommend going to the States to learn. Go and meet loads of new friends and go for the experience (theres that word again!).
Happy flying!

[ripanrocks]

Thanks a lot, well appreciated :ok:
We do need people like you, who are really motivated & are always think positive about their future.
Well said & presented :)

[moona]

Sounds like you had the right attitude to wards the training, get your head down, get the exams done and enjoy the flying.

When I was at Oba 2006 the people that got stuck in and focused on the task at hand didn't seem to have any issues getting the course done. Funnily enough though the ones that treated it like a holiday were the same people that struggled the squeeze it all in.

My advice to anyone going to Florida for their PPL is to do the ground exams before you go. It may cost you a bit more to do this but you will be able to relax more and focus on the flying while you are out there.

[destinationsky]

I will second what Moona said. If i had my time again, i would have done all of my exams before i left the UK. I did 2 exams before i left and a lot of studying. Buy the books atleast a few months in advance to get a "grounding" knowledge and it may also be a good idea to have atleast an hour in the air to put all of the theory into a practical scenario. It helps!
I think alot of people forget about the other stuff you need to learn. BUMFICHH, HASELL etc. oh, and emergency check lists! A lot of work in a short period of time!
Do your homework and you will achieve what you set out to achieve!

[flyasthesky]

Hi Destinationsky, I'm glad you had a good experience in the states:ok:. Just out of curiosity do EFT actually own the PA28's? It's just that a few years ago I heard they were renting their c172's from a flight school across the ramp, has things changed now?

[destinationsky]

I think they still share with Ari Ben Aviator. Although the PA28'S were parked at the EFT ramp all of the time. Im not sure who own the aircraft to be honest!

[TicketyBlue]

Im not sure who own the aircraft to be honest!

You could of course grab a tail number from your logbook and check against the a/c register... :ok:

[destinationsky]

Ari Ben Aviator own the aircraft!

[Ryan5252]

So Destinationsky, all in all whats the ball park cost of the course? You mentioned you saved 2k. I've always been one for "Fly in the UK, Learn in the UK" but lets face it two grand is two grand!!

Cheers
Ryan

[Katamarino]

Flying in the US is so much nicer than flying in the UK, it really is a no-brainer!

[Ryan5252]

Oh well then if its 'nicer'..... :ugh:

[Katamarino]

Well, 'learning in the country you plan to fly in' only really makes sense if you only intend to fly in one country; if that's what you want to do in a country as small as Britain, then I guess it makes sense. Personally, I can't think of anything more dull.

If you actually intend to use an airplane to travel, then I don't think it makes much difference where you learn, and you might as well do it in a country that actually appreciates GA a little, rather than the European hatred of anything a bit out of the mainstream!

Good weather, much friendlier people (in general), low costs, free landings, must I go on? I have flown hundreds of hours both in the USA and Europe, and have not found anything at all that Europe does better.

I got my JAR PPL in the USA, and found that flying in the UK and beyond was not appreciably different; certainly not enough that it required hours with an instructor, or anything more than revising the different RT procedures from the Trevor Thom book.

I'd love to hear, though, why you think there are advantages to learning to fly in the UK (apart from 'not able to afford the lump sum for a USA trip)?

[Ryan5252]

My dear Katamarino. To be fair your original post;

(Flying in the US is so much nicer than flying in the UK, it really is a no-brainer!)

was a touch idiotic and open to interpretation (though I think that was your intention?), so here you go...

I never said to I intend to use an airplane to travel - but thank you for clarifying my intentions, my wife will appreciate it! :ok: May I also say that I have never flown in the US (though lived in FL for 2 years) never mined trained there so I am not qualified to speak for it. I have trained (am training?) in the UK and my reasons for flying here are quite simple. I work here. I live here. I will fly here for the foreseeable future. I live in Ireland and as such I am fortunate to have all sorts or areas to fly in/over, including mountains, lakes, valleys, across to the UK and beyond should my heart desire. Incidentally I am also fortunate enough to know some very nice fiendly people, in fact, i've not met anyone with whom I could not chat for hours. I suggest you have been unlucky in that regard as that is not the GA environment I know!

You mention good weather, we have some in the UK/Ireland also, unfortunately it is not as consistent with the US. However, one day during my PFL training I was fortunate enough to contend with the crosswind gusts in excess of 30knts. Unfortunately unlike most US airfields, we only have one runway to choose from so I was forced into crosswind approaches, whilst cloud dodging after doing a PFL in the rain. (Do you think I got value for money that day)?

Low costs? Hands down

Free landings? (seriously?) most clubs/schools enjoy this privilege here also (at their home airport).

So there you have my humble reasons or what I can see as advantages of learning to fly in the UK (although I can afford to go to the US if I decided that was best for me) Personally, I can't think of anything more dull.

PS
Britain is not small in 152... its a no-brainer!

Cheers
Ryan

[Katamarino]

Well, if you just intend to bimble around within a few hours or so of your home base, that's fair enough! But as you have never flown in the USA, I don't seriously think you can call my comment idiotic ; try it, you'll love it, and see where I am coming from.

As for the free landings comment (and yes, of the hundreds of US airports I have visited, only 1 had a landing fee - parking fees might be $3 a day, at the majority of mid-size airports, and free at most unattended ones); do you only ever land at home base? If so, it's a valid point; I'm glad you get pleasure from that kind of flying, as I certainly can't imagine just doing that! I've met plenty of great people in the UK and Europe when flying; but only in the US have I been invited to stay at people's homes after a single meeting, and been left people's cars with keys in the ignition after meeting them at the airfield, just in case we need to go somewhere that night! People in the Europe are normally civil, and often friendly, but rarely anywhere near that warm or welcoming. It's just a different culture.

The joy of flying, for me, is that I can jump in the plane, and an hour's flying can take me from Rotterdam to the UK, or France, or Belgium, or Germany. Can't do that in a car!

Ultimately, I guess as long as we're both enjoying our flying and keeping GA going, so much the better! But to get back to the original thread; I can recommend wholeheartedly doing a PPL in the USA. If you then come back and fly in Britain, then you're getting experience in two different environments and systems, and doubling your experience can hardly be a bad thing, can it?

[destinationsky]

Can i just make my intentions clear and feel free to refer to my first post.
I didnt open this thread to be the referee in slagging matches. Quite the opposite. I began this thread to offer my opinion on learning to fly in the States as opposed to here in the UK with the intention of others then offering their opinions on the matter. NOT, i hasten to add, for people to start playing down others views. An opinion is an opinion and regardless of whether you agree or not, please respect what other people say.

Chobito, i have no idea about the ATPL course as i have yet to do it.

EIflyer - Chobito probably wrote about his graduation or whatever it was due to his culture or maybe he is just proud? i dunno but im sure its a culture thing - please respect it.

Ryan5252 - i paid $8000 for the training. inc flights + visa, that works out to be £5800ish. My local clubs are approaching £8k.

I loved flying in the US. The people are friendlier. No PPR required, no landing fees at any airports (except the large ones im sure!) no wearing a hi-viz to cover somebody else's backside, cheap fuel and did i mention nicer people?!
on the flip side, i love flying in this country too. the scenery is much nicer with hills and other geographical features which Florida lacks.
I have every intention in going back there to do more flying.
I felt that flying in the States was good experience. i have more of an understanding of other nationalities airspace and how it can differ to our own. Its all adding to my knowledge and greater and wider knowledge can only be a good thing!?

[Ryan5252]

I have stated from the outset that I have never flown in the US. I feel that I am better adapted to learn at home as this will form the base of my flying life. This is my views and will differ from others, not that I do not accept other views (which are more often than not more experienced). There are pro's & con's to this never ending debate and as such it will continue unending unless things significantly change at home or abroad.

As I said I spent 2 years in Florida in my teenage years and return regularly as I have close family out there. Let me get my PPL first and I will take a flying holiday as im sure the change would be great, for a while. I am more than happy with my flying experience to date and I hope I am lucky enough to build on this over the coming years. Until then im not ready to jump through the hoops of the TSA, Uncle Sam or anyone else for that matter. Yet.

Cheers,
Ryan

[destinationsky]

I would have loved to do my PPL here but i am impatient and wanted to do it quickly without the hassle of waiting for acceptable weather!
America was right for me at the time and i do not regret choosing to go there to do my training. The £2k i saved can now be invested into building hours before i embark on the ATPL/CPL.
I had fun. I had some good experiences. I passed my skills test and i met some great people. As far as im concerned - Mission accomplished!

[whistling turtle]

Ryan,

I had the same attitude as you before my horizons were broadened. Did my PPL in Ireland and afterwards went to the U.S.
If I had to do my PPL again I would choose the U.S.
All the above posts by others explain why perfectly.

[Oldpilot55]

I've done the Grosvenor Square trip twice this year for company work. Both times I waited in excess of three hours for an interview of less than 60 seconds. Either my interview technique is spot on or the fortune we pay our lawyers for paperwork preparation is worth it. The bureaucracy is indeed mind blowing but is not a reflection of the friendliness of the natives when you get there.
I got my licence in Florida but my previous licence was obtained in the UK. The difference was immeasurable. Yes I did get bad weather, cold fronts cross winds and haze from fires forcing me to use VORs for Nav, something I rarely used in the UK. The school I went to (now defunct) was 100% committed to getting folk through their exams. The aircraft they used were not the best but the atmosphere for studying was perfect as the original poster found, too.
I am equally sure there are bad schools in the States and research and personal recommendation is essential. If you are prepared to study hard and fly twice a day then its a no brainer. You will get your PPL in 4 weeks rather than a year and a half. Plus you get to send the wife and kids to Disneyworld so everyone is happy.

[Ryan5252]

Hoops?
You will find that the hoops you refer to are far greater on the UK side than on the US side...
When applying for example for a FAR 61.75 certificate, it is they - the CAA who rip you off some 30+ quid simply to divulge the information to the FAA - who charge zero for doing the actual work involved.

TSA hoops - are negligible and pretty much completed online. Just turn up with your fingers to get the dabs done.

Visa application - hardly rocket science but yes it does require a trip and a stand in line at Grosvenor Sq.

As with most things in life, you get out of it - what you are prepared to put in.
I would not have to do any of the above if I continue to fly at home, so to me I regard completing those all above steps as 'jumping through hoops'. As I have said, I am content with my flying at present. This will change down the line and I will look to broaden my horizons when the time comes. I may or may not decide to do this with Uncle Sam but I will make a rational decision considering many variables.
Don't get me wrong, I am open to reasonable persuasion and would consider doing a significant amount of flying anywhere if the circumstances were favorable.

Cheers
Ryan

[IO540]

Anybody getting a PPL here for £8k is doing well.

I did mine in the average time (60hrs??) and it cost me £8.6k, in 2001.

It would cost far less in the USA.

However if I was advising somebody doing this now I would suggest going to the JAA school in California (better weather than Florida so the "project" is more likely to run on rails) and getting out both a JAA and a standalone FAA PPL at the same time.

The often claimed business of learning in UK weather is worth nothing IMHO. It just ensures a load of cancelled lessons and anybody doing it here will take a whole year and will accumulate enough frustration to last them a lifetime of flying. Unless they had some unlogged time from beforehand, and started in the spring, and got reasonably lucky with the weather :)

However there are other things to consider; for example I would recommend learning in the same plane which you will be renting afterwards (IF you plan on long term renting). That may be harder if one goes to the USA.

But, either way, going to the USA will result in getting on with it, without distractions. Over here, most punters try to fit lessons into a busy life and it takes for ever... I did my IR in Arizona and flew twice a day for 2 weeks - totally exhausting but I got the piece of paper! And operationally the US IR was just as relevant / irrelevant to flying in European airways as the Euro IR would have been.

[IO540]

Those block prices would be for a 45hr block. Even allowing for a 20% overrun, this is going to cost substantially less than the UK unless one flies there Club Class :)

But the great attraction is coming out with an FAA PPL also, which will open up the way to the FAA IR the instant it is apparent (if indeed this does happen) that EASA has abandoned its attack on N-reg / FAA pilots over here.

Doing it in 3 weeks is damn good going though, IMHO.

[BabyBear]

IO540, excuse my ignorance, can you explain how doing a JAA PPL in the US qualifies for an FAA licence please? I did mine in Florida, but no one metioned the issue of an FAA licence.

[IO540]

The training for the two is some 95% common. With a slight extra (the FAA night X/C for example) you meet the extra requirements for the FAA PPL also, and you just do the FAA checkride at the end.

The other extras are an FAA medical (but there are doctors here who can do both medicals at the same time), the FAA written exam (1) which you can do here or (for far less) over there, and of course the pre-checkride oral exam.

Otherwise, to do an FAA PPL at a later date, here in Europe, you have to jump through a load of extra hoops and spend a big pile of money. I did that a few years ago and it cost me several thousand quid, hotel stays etc... Then, for a few years, it became impossible altogether (no checkrides). I was doing that because I was working towards the FAA IR. Had I done my JAA PPL in the USA, the extra cost of picking up an FAA PPL at the same time would have been at most 1/10 of what it cost me, and 1/100 of the hassle and aggro.

An FAA PPL is yours for life. Never expires. Nobody in Euro-land can take it away from you - ever.

Anywhere in the world, you can jump into a US reg aircraft and fly it, worldwide.

To exercise its privileges you need to renew the medical, and have a BFR. If your address changes, you get onto the FAA website and for $2 sort it out (unlike the FAA 61.75 piggyback PPL which has cost plenty of people hundreds, and endless runarounds, to sort out changes on over here, recently).

[BabyBear]

Thanks IO540, didn't even give it a thought when I was out there. Getting through the one licence was enough for me to contend with at the time I guess. Although it was necessary to have an FAA medical prior to going solo in US airspace. I have to say it was a bit of a nonense as I already had a new class 2 and the FAA medical was more or less a pass if you were breathing. It was done in a hanger at Spruce Creek, so was worth it for the visit.

[IO540]

I have to say it was a bit of a nonense as I already had a new class 2 and the FAA medical was more or less a pass if you were breathing

Not any more :) They are reasonably similar. For some strange reason the FAA one is a lot cheaper though (UK v. UK).

I am suprised US JAA approved schools don't push the FAA PPL option. It would make a lot of sense. They obviously have no clue as to the European IFR situation.

[Ryan5252]

Bottom line, is that destinationsky now has his license and was able to accomplish it in 3 weeks of hard slog.
When did you start and when do you expect to be completed?

I expect to complete it when the time suits me. Doing a PPL in three weeks is suitable for some, for others it is not. I for one am enjoying my flying and that is all that should concern you.

Cheers
Ryan

[stickandrudderman]

Congratulations on excellent post Destinationsky (Not Russian are you?).
It was concise and informative and I didn't notice any subliminal invitation to start an arguement contained therein, although others apparently have.
Personally I have no need of the information but a friend asked me recently what I though of sending their daughter to the States to do her PPL and I shall refer them to this post.

It is refreshing to see such mature comments from someone (relatively) so young. Good luck to you Sir!

[BabyBear]

I am suprised US JAA approved schools don't push the FAA PPL option. It would make a lot of sense. They obviously have no clue as to the European IFR situation.

I agree, it could well be the USP that would encourage folks to go through the visa hassle. Once there and introduced to the different attitude to GA they are very likely to return, especially if the have an FAA licence.

[L'aviateur]

I did my PPL in the UK, started in Sandtoft and finished at Newcastle. Whilst I felt the standard of training I had was excellent, I found the entire PPL was spread over 18 months. I was not constrained financially, and dedicated around 6 weeks of vacation time to sitting 'waiting for the weather' at airfields, and it was only through excellent staff at both airfields changing schedules for me that I eventually got through the skills test.
If I was to do it all over again, I would have gone to the US and completed the course in 3 weeks and then returned to the UK and performed remedial training at a mixture of controlled airfields and grass strips over a week or so.
I have flown abroad in a few countries since I completed my PPL and feel it doesn't take a great deal to adjust, you just have to be aware of the differences and spend an hour or so with an instructor to become familiar (well at least as a low hours PPL).

[IO540]

3 wks is pushing it.

Just think: 45hrs - 15hrs/week, which is 2 longish lessons per day, 7 days a week. Unless one is young, one is going to be pretty knackered :)

[destinationsky]

Paris dakar and Stickandrudderman,
Thanks for the feedback!

Stickandrudderman, if you want to PM me, i will give you my email address and you can pass it on to your friend if they would like any more advice on the ppl in America?!

The flying was intense but it was a good structure. Airborne by 9am then a loooong break untill 4pm. This cut out the hottest parts of the day and we missed alot of the turbulence. Some days we flew for 2.5 hours and some we flew less. I think the day i went solo, i only did about an hour! That was offset with my solo cross country which was approaching 4 hours.
It was a 6 day week with Sundays off to do studying (or trips to Kennedy space centre!).
All in all it was tiring but very rewarding. The annoying thing is, i havent flown since i got back a month ago :{

....P.S im not Russian! To be honest it took me a while to understand why you asked! ... i am blonde though :rolleyes:

[Katamarino]

I went to the US and did mine in 5 weeks, including theory exams, and a few long weekends off. It was comfortable timing.

[destinationsky]

had i had the time i think i would have done the FAA license too.I met some guys who were hour building. took them anything up to 8 weeks to get their foreign license validation so they could fly without having to have routes checked etc.
Worth doing and im sure it wouldnt have cost alot more!

[Ryan5252]

I'm sure it wouldn't have cost alot more!

Not too often I see such a statement on these forums (or anything remotely related to General Aviation!) :ok:

[destinationsky]

...in comparison to the full ppl course, im sure it wouldnt have cost alot more!

[Fuel_on_Mixture_Rich]

Well folks, it looks like I'm a survivor of one of the most oft-mentioned FTO's in the state of Florida! I returned to the UK with my PPL in 4 weeks in 2004 (had to stay longer due to almost a week of poor weather but it was february) and all was well in the end.

I will fully admit that I probably didn't carry out as much research as I could before I went, but as a grown adult I believed I was aware of the risks. However, it became apparent that the risks you know about are not the ones to worry about! The orientation morning (form filling, registration, tour of facilities etc.) was a bit of an eye opener in that the FTO owner was conducting it and I immediately felt ill-at-ease in his company for several reasons which needn't be delved into at this point. Suffice to say he received a very wide berth from me from that point on.

On meeting the instructors I felt a lot better. My particular instructor was, I felt, very good. He had a very good attitude, was encouraging and was able to help me when this was required. I believe all of these instructors have since left, but I guess that's the nature of the job for them. As far as ground school and exams were concerned, I felt that the success of the student was directly proportional to the effort the student would expend. Having said that, the R/T exam was an absolute joke and frankly, I feel like I was given an R/T licence rather than have had earned it. As a result, I have had to work VERY hard on R/T discipline ever since.

I did pre-pay for my course and was fully aware that cancellation on my part would result in my losing a lot of money, but made sure that my payment only cleared 48 hours before travel. The FTO owner didn't like that which I suppose set me up for a less than pleasant orientation a few days later and did set alarm bells ringing.

I also had a very strange run in with the FTO itself in that the cost of the study materials were included in the package price. The study materials were purchased from AFE in Manchester and the cost of these were deducted from the "headline" cost, and the net sum was then payable to the FTO directly. Me being me, I realised that I could save a significant sum by obtaining the required texts from Amazon or second-hand (current editions only please! - an old student trick). This was mentioned in passing to a fellow student who in turn unknowingly regurgitated the story in front of one of the FTO staff at a "social" held on wednesday afternoons / evenings. I was then asked to come to a meeting the next day where the FTO admin manager and the owner demanded that I pay the difference (my saving) to them. I refused to do this, saying that it was irrelevant how I obtained my texts etc, the fact that I had them was proof in my eyes that I had fulfilled my part of the bargain. Several veiled threats followed but on each occasion I asked that they prove I had second - sourced my texts. This was finally brought up immediately before my skills test with the implicit threat that I wouldn't be flying today if I refused to pay the so-called difference. Again, I asked that the FTO prove where my texts were purchased from. I left the office to carry out the pre-flight etc. and no more was said. :mad: Talk about sharp practices!

My experience was generally good. I enjoyed my time there, worked toward my goal and achieved it. Some time was spent in the pub, socialising etc. but these times were relatively rare. However, I did see several people fail / run over schedule / be charged significant sums of money over and above what they had already paid as they needed more time in order to pass for different reasons. Certainly, I saw a few people suffer because of what I would have deemed "self inflicted wounds" but that can happen in any course of study.

Just what happened to me anyway - I hope it helps!

[Amirhez]

Hello

Is that true that PPL can be completed in Florida less than1 month? Any school recommended in Florida?

Can i do my PPL ground school and exams in England and 45 flighthours in Florida?

Help please. :D

Thanks.

[XLC]

Hello,

yes you can. There are plenty of threads on this site about the very few approved ATO's that are based in the US. Just be certain they still are approved .

[Rhino25782]

Here's the current list of approved ATOs:

http://www.easa.europa.eu/approvals-and-standardisation/organisation-approvals/docs/FCL/EASA-List_of_previously_JAR_FCL_approved_PTO-31102013.pdf

[JDA2012]

My, this thread is old! I would not know about Florida, but it is true that a PPL, including ground exams, can be completed in the UK in less than one month:

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/511455-28-day-20-flying-45h50m-ppl-completed-ant-blackpool.html

[Ebbie 2003]

The 45 hour thing is the minimum - it is likely that one will take longer - a rule of thumb is the minimum plus an hour for every year over 21 - I am sure that there are plenty of examples of sixty year olds who have done it in the minimum but as one gets older it does taken longer.

Intensive courses are possible in the UK if the right weather conditions are found - so maybe we're talking about an ideal summer. You also need a school with plenty of planes, losing a couple of days for the one trainer being off the line for repairs can be significant. Generally though it's the weather that gets you - I did an intensive course in Florida and even there weather wasa factor as was the fact that I took to going to the airport at the crack of dawn and flying circuits for an hour or so about half way through the course and outside the scheduled training schedule - set me in good stead though as my flight examiner commented that he'd never seen an intensive course ppl candidate with so many landings before, may also explain why I was happy to do my check ride in pretty horrendous winds when theose on the commercial course declined (that and I was due to fly out the next evening).

If you are going to do an intensive course I would say do not do it locally - do it somewhere away from home so that you can immerse yourself in the course.

That aid avoid parts of the US in high summere.g.

[Drhapgood]

Great to read this article, I am currently enrolled with EFT for Feb 2014 and I am already holding the US Visa, which I have to say, the hidden costs for this were a shock. Bizarrely enough our stories are the same, early inheritance to fulfil dream so chose Florida for A: Quickness and B: Cost

If you have any other advice would be grateful to hear, such as Walmart shopping for sheets etc, did you do that or can you get them provided, also did you get any unexpected extra charges?

Did you study your books before you got there?

[AlexF388]

I'm currently at EFT and have been for two weeks on Sunday. Arrived having studied for a couple of months previously and have taken three exams so far, ready to take another four. Sat on the ground for a week due to the weather (even at this time of year!). My instructor, Matteo is really pushing me hard and is really going all out to help me succeed. Since Monday I have done 9.2 hours and am ready to start circuits, however the wind is out of limits to start to learn them at the moment. I have just over two weeks left (allowed a month in case of weather, not sure if that'll be enough - may have to finish off in the UK). It is really good here, staying on campus, the houses are average - don't expect any five star accommodation. Makes you want to get out and study though.
I got all my sheets etc from Walmart on the way from the airport, things are very cheap and they can be picked up for a very reasonable price. There is a law in the US that prevents them from giving out sheets.
All in all a brilliant school, hope you can glean some info from what I said and good luck with your flight training - also feel free to pm me with any other questions :)

Regards
Alex