JAA PPL

[cheechm]

Now I know this topic has been talked to death, but everyone is in a different situation. Furthermore, having read so many different topics, its obvious that situations change. One flight school can be the best one month, then suddenly have disappeared off the face of the earth. Anyway, let me explain my situation:

I'm 18 years old and finished school in July 2011. I have always been interested in getting my PPL, and as I am on my gap year at the moment I thought when better but now. I am currently building funds towards it, and will hopefully have enough to start at the beginning of March. However I need to make some decisions, and some very important ones at that. Learning to fly in Florida is attractive because of better weather conditions to the UK, cheaper cost and easier accessibility*. I am eventually looking at having a JAA PPL, night rating and IMC rating. Not necessarily all at the same time. However I've heard mixed opinions about the flight schools in Florida that offer JAA PPLs. At the same time though, I'm worried about the cost of it all in the UK.

Is there another option? Could I get my FAA PPL in the States then convert in the UK? Or should I be looking for JAA PPL schools in different locations?

I know this is like asking "how long is a piece of string", but if I can get several options, then maybe I can start to piece together my own little "package".

TIA. :ok:



*I can get free flights to Florida (through airmiles) and have accommodation at the flight school included with a price for my license. However my current home is in Putney, so my nearest is more than 45 mins drive (I have my driving license), and given the changeability of English weather, that is more of a problem.

[Genghis the Engineer]

There's a lot to be said for going to Florida, particularly at this time of year. The consistent weather and consistent hours of daylight, as well as much cheaper flying. It is reasonably possible to do your whole PPL in 3-4 weeks: at-least so long as you've had the sense to do the written exams in the UK before you go out.

This is true whether you go the FAA or JAA route; I suggest that you'd be best looking at the JAA route, since it's easy to get a reciprocal FAA licence from that (see the sticky at the top of the page), but FAA-->JAA, is hard work if you have less than 100hrs TT.

However, what you need to recognise is that flying in the USA IS NOT the same as flying in the UK (and the UK in turn is different to the rest of Europe). In particular, ATC procedures, NOTAMS, RT, airfield joins.... a whole bunch of stuff needs re-learning back home. Plus you'll lose the skills you had at your skill test pretty quickly if you don't use them within a couple of months.

So if you do the Florida / JAA route, and this is not a bad thing to do, you need to add into your budget perhaps half a dozen hours with a UK based instructor at the club you're planning to fly with after you've qualified - basically doing a combination of keeping your skills going and learning to fly in British skies.


On a couple of other points - the JAA PPL qualification is a useful one, the night qualification is nice, and you can do it at the same time as your PPL, but is very hard to actually use in the UK because there's so little culture of routine night flying. The IMC needs a few hours post qualification and the Eurocrats are taking our ability to do new IMCRs in April, so the odds of your doing an IMCR are probably near-zero. There will be some kind of replacement, probably the "EIR" or "En-Route Instrument Rating", but the arrangements for that remain somewhat less than clear.

G

[cheechm]

Thanks for all the great info. The flying regime differences between the US and the UK are my biggest worries, however I am happy to have half a dozen lessons "converting" back over here in the UK. And in fact, I'm probably going to end up doing my first 2 hours in the UK, just so I know that I can "handle it" etc...

Has anyone been to either EFT or EASA recently?

[Gomrath]

and will hopefully have enough to start at the beginning of March.
If you are seriously considering coming to the US and starting a Private cert at the beginning of March you need to get your skates on. Also get your medical done before you spend any money on anything else.
You need to get your Flight School sorted/booked and paperwork completed then get your visa application submitted (~$300) then when that is finalized, get your TSA submitted (~$140).
Presumably you haven't started your written exams yet? You really need to have them all completed first.
How long are you allocating for the training from start to end?

Remember that the USA JAA Flight Schools only quote a price based on the minimum number of hours and a first time pass. You need to cost out an additional 10 hours minimum as a contingency and remember medical insurance and renters insurance prior to first solo etc. if you take longer than the planned timeframe, you may find that the 'accommodation' costs will kick in.

[GCSteve]

hi, I am heading out to EFT next week to start their APP course. Something new for me as a project.

[CaptainDimos]

The best weather is south Greece ..
And if you need to convert your FAA PPL later to JAA you will understand
Your mistake....JAA to FAA is easy and cost almost nothing.
The cost for PPL in Greece is 4900 euro including accomodation ..think about it.

[Gordajs]

Hi, don't mean to hijack this thread but while you're on the topic - do you have more information and possibly a link to this flight school in southern Greece?