FAA versus JAA PPL?

[Titan Airways]

My apologies if this topic has been covered before, but I searched and couldn’t find a past thread relating to it.
I’m an Irish low hours PPL(A) student pilot. I have the benefit of still being at the stage where I can pick and choose where and when I want to carry out my flying training. I’m currently deliberating over whether to get a JAA or FAA licence.
From the research I’ve done I’ve come to a few conclusions and raised a few questions, but what are the pro’s and cons of each?
1) Is it difficult to transfer an FAA licence to a JAA licence afterwards. If possibly going commercial is a JAA licence more practical?
2) Are there any limitations to the usage of an FAA private pilots licence here in Ireland? I understand the night rating is invalid outside of the US. Are there any others?
3) The cost and amount of necessary hours for the FAA PPL are less than a JAA one, but is the course any easier?
4) What are the requirements for maintaining an FAA licence?
5) Is the theoretical knowledge course/exam much different to that of the JAA?
6) I’ve heard about people here getting JAA licences, and then adding an FAA “rating” on, entitling them to all the privileges of an FAA licence by filling out forms. Is this a viable option to maintaining both a JAA and FAA licence?
From what I’ve read up, and by comparing both the JAA licence and FAA licence side by side, it seems that the FAA licence stands well out from the JAA one. If this is so why aren’t droves of people signing up for FAA training and the JAA licence given the boot?
I know I’ve asked a good few questions above, but I’d appreciate if you could shed some light on this, and finally give me a clearer view of the situation.
Thanks in advance.
Titan

[dublinpilot]

Hi Titan,
I'm no expert on this, but I can help you with some of this.

1) Is it difficult to transfer an FAA licence to a JAA licence afterwards. If possibly going commercial is a JAA licence more practical?

Beagle will be able to give you chapter and verse on this, but assuming you try to convert when you have less than 100 hours, then I think it would be fair to say that you'd have to do all the JAA exams, and a JAA skill test.
I've no idea about the commercial part, but would assume that if you were hoping to work for a European Airline then you would need a JAA one. Having said that, I don't think you need to make that decision at PPL level. You can still swap systems when doing the required commercial pilots licence course.

2) Are there any limitations to the usage of an FAA private pilots licence here in Ireland? I understand the night rating is invalid outside of the US. Are there any others?

I don't think that the night privileges on an FAA PPL are invalid outside the US. However, you still have to obey the local laws too. There is no VFR at night in Ireland, whether you have an FAA PPL or a JAA one. You can fly at night under Special VFR with a JAA PPL, but this is only available in the vicinity of the regional airports, and not across the country. Therefore it's effectively useless.
An FAA PPL, flying an Irish registered aircraft, is limited to DAY, VFR flight, within the confines of the Irish State only. This is the only serious limitation of the FAA PPL over the JAA PPL. You can't fly an Irish Registered aircraft out of Ireland, without getting the permission of the country that you are flying into. With a JAA PPL & an Irish registered aircraft you generally don't need such permissions.

3) The cost and amount of necessary hours for the FAA PPL are less than a JAA one, but is the course any easier?

I'm not really in a position to comment, but wouldn't expect it to be any easier. It's probably shorter, as you only have to cover FAA rules, while on the JAA course (in the USA) you'll have to learn the FAA rules so that you can fly solo there, and the JAA rules so that you can pass the exams.
If you are comparing the price of an FAA licence in the USA, and a JAA one in Ireland, then the price difference has to do with costs, not the course itself.

4) What are the requirements for maintaining an FAA licence?

This is the big advantage for an FAA PPL. As I understand it, you have to do a Biannual Flight Review (BFR) with an instructor every two years. (Sort of a mini flight test). That's it. The licence itself is valid for your lifetime, subject to you having the BFR in the past two years. Obviously your medical must be current too.

5) Is the theoretical knowledge course/exam much different to that of the JAA?

I don't know, but I'd guess that only the air law would be significantly different. The R/t, and navigation (maps) would also be a bit different, but not majorly.

6) I’ve heard about people here getting JAA licences, and then adding an FAA “rating” on, entitling them to all the privileges of an FAA licence by filling out forms. Is this a viable option to maintaining both a JAA and FAA licence?

This is known as a "Piggy back" licence. It is a licence issued by the FAA, and is valid so long as your JAA licence is valid. It is essentially paperwork. However you need to travel to the USA to collect it, it can't be posted, and you will need to do a BFR before you can use it. You will still need to have a biannual flight review in the previous two years if you want to use it, and you need to keep your JAA one valid. You won't need an FAA medical, because your JAA one is sufficient. The FAA do not charge you for this.

From what I’ve read up, and by comparing both the JAA licence and FAA licence side by side, it seems that the FAA licence stands well out from the JAA one. If this is so why aren’t droves of people signing up for FAA training and the JAA licence given the boot?

Not many places offer FAA training in Ireland. Any? So that means that you must take your annual holidays and use them to go to the USA and do your licence on block. When you get back, most clubs will make you do a few more hours with them. You'll have gotten used to US R/t, so you'll have to get back up to speed with Irish R/T, and as your training will have been very intensive, you probably won't be used to Irish weather. You'll also have the hassle of needing to get permissions from foreign authorities, if you wish to take an Irish Registered aircraft out of Ireland.
I hope that's of some help!

[Titan Airways]

Thanks for that Dublin Pilot, you clarified a lot for me in your post.
Much appreciated.

[BRL]

Excellent post DP.