JAR Compliant PPL - The sensible choice?

[Boing7117]

The JAR Compliant PPL available from UK FT in Las Vegas seems pretty good.

It appears to have nothing put positive plus points (low licence maintainence, includes night rating, valid in UK and Europe).

It's even quite cheap in relation to flight training in the UK.

I'm almost 100% made up on booking my place and attending during the summer of 2003.

Can someone talk me out of this? or more so, give me some valid negative reasons why I should not consider this route to gaining my PPL?

Cheers

[MJR]

Hi Boing7117,

I've never heard of this rating and I'm particularly interested to know how you manage to achieve a nght rating that is valid in both the UK and Europe as a PPL.

I have recently instructed two students who have recently gained JAR licences in the states. In both cases they need at least 4-5 hours instruction to bring them up to speed on UK procedures before I would consider signing them off. Naturally they are a little dissappointed at this additional expense. It seems to me that the only saving in learning in the states is time, as the generally better weather allows people to complete in 4 weeks or so. Thats fine but it does not give any appreciation of flying in UK weather.

My advice is if you want to fly in the UK then learn in the UK. If your considering going commercial then I'm sure the states is a good bet for hour building.

hope this helps

cheers

MJR

[Julian]

Boeing,

I have never heard of it either! I completed my JAA PPL with UKFT about 2.5 years ago and found them very good, odd grumbling point but there again all schools will have. They have just teamed up with another FTO (Rainbow Air), thereby expanding their fleet of aircraft to quite an impressive size. I have hired privately from Rainbow and have been very impressed with availiability and quality of aircraft for hire.

I dont subscribe to the 'fly in UK, learn in UK' arugument. Myself and others I have known have learnt with UKFT and had no problems back home. I went to bouth Bournemouth and White Waltham on my return for check flights to hire aircraft and both signed me off after 1 hour. Maybe MJRs both came from the same school as each other and instruction wasnt as good but UKFT is pretty fair and they WILL fail you if they dont think you are upto standard.

You may need an hour or two to get used to the different radio procedures than the US but this is no great problem - the aircraft still flies the same way over here and despite popular opinion there is crap weather in CA (during my IR rating we used to go looking for it to get actual IR time!).

Longbeach Airport is very busy as well so you will come back having learnt in a busy area. It is full tower facailities, 5 active runways and military as well as commercial jet operations, bit daunting at first but after about 5 hours you just drop into it and it becomes good fun sharing the runway with the big boys!

During your training you will also get the chance to fly into places such as Catalina Island (once you see this place you will know what I mean about interesting landing!) and Big Bear ski resort.

You will save money as well. I have two lots of flights over there, a months hotel accomdation (very nice hotel!) and 62 hours flying/instruction and not forgettiing food and beermoney and the whole lot cost me about £4500 - plus I had a bloody good holiday out of it!

One piece of advice I will give it to getyour written exams out of the way before you go over there - that way you just have to concentrate on the flying once you get there. When I did mine the only exam I had to sit out there was the RT as the guy I used for the writtens was not signed off to conduct the RT.

If you have any specific questions about UKFT (or Rainbow) then feel free to private email me and I will try and answer.

Julian.

[Boing7117]

Just been to www.ftuk.com site to read up once again on my information source.

They claim the JAR Compliant PPL is a genuine course (one would hope so too!) and completely okay for use in the UK

Have we got anyone here with CAA contacts that might be able to confirm this??

[distaff_beancounter]

Could someone please clarify:-

After a student has done all the training on a "JAR Complient PPL" course, what actual licence will he hold?

A FAA PPL?

A JAA PPL - issued by the CAA?

:confused:

[Boing7117]

JAR PPL

[buzzc152]

I went to UKFT last year. Instuctors are young and inexperienced, but that's not a big issue.

The 3 other guys who were there with me all have their own stories to tell.

On the plus side LGB is a good airport to learn at. Hotel accomodation is quite good. I spent a few weeks in student accomodation which turned out to be illegal as the owner of UKFT had simply rented a room in a local college digs and put UKFT students in there. The other house mates (who were all college students) wondered why all of a sudden loads of english people where suddenly living in their house. They threatened to call the police eventually. A new place was rented in quite possibly the worst/most dangerous area I've ever seen. I was not amused by the gangs hanging around on street corners late at night when I returned from flying.

Moral of the story.... be careful with UKFT. Some people have had good experienes (and UKFT will send you a list of them so you can get you're own references). Lots have had bad experiences too.

[Boing7117]

Not so sure. Not so sure.

[JohnnyPharm]

I was interested in doing a JAA PPL at UKFT, and the rep tried to push me into a "JAA compliant PPL". Basically no such thing exists.... duh!!! It is an FAA PPL with a CAA Radio Telephony Licence Tagged on.

As the FAA PPL contains night flying you do NOT have a night rating and you will only be able to fly at night in the UK in a US registered aircraft, basically the night flying you do in LA is worth nothing in the UK.

I would go for the JAA PPL. I don't know why they push the "compliant" one, probably more money in it for them I suppose.:p

[Gin Slinger]

If in doubt about the JAA credentials of any FTO, just phone up the CAA and they'll give you a definitive answer,

And remember...

[Field In Sight]

I did my training 2.5 years ago at UKFT and thoroughly enjoyed the experience and met some good friends there.

A lot of people have a problem with the owner/examiner. I think most of this stems from the inherent conflict of interest of the person who is most likely to gain from you failing also being the person who can fail you.

From all the people that I spoke to that failed, the reasons didn't seem particularly harsh although a favourite at the time seemed to be too high (approx 200 ft) on final approach for the PFL. All the checkouts I have had since seemed a lot more pragmatic on the subject i.e. "you wouldn't have killed yourself there so that's okay".

I wouldn't advise against UKFT but would say that if you have any doubts early on about your assigned instructor is change to a new one before you waste too much money and you will enjoy it.

Southern CA is a great place to fly.

I'll be trying Florida for my CPL this year so I'll post how good EFT/IFTA is.

[sally at pprune]

Sounds dodgy to me. I see no UKFT on the CAA list of approved PPL schools: (click here) (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/SRG_FCL_RegisteredFacilities.PDF)
:eek:

[Field In Sight]

It is here though http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/SRG_FCL_ApprovedFTOs.pdf.

[buzzc152]

Hmmm, someone seems to have deleted the majority of my opinion of UKFT. Well, to sum up... I've been there and would not go back. The training etc was adequate but I (and many others I know) have serious reservations about the owner/CFI. There are plenty of other better schools out there...... I am constantly hearing good things about Naples Air Centre in Florida. I'm going there in 3 weeks so I'll let you'all know what I think.