FAA PPL - A Couple Of Questions

[nickd01]

Hi,

I'm about to embark on an FAA PPL and find a flying school in the States to learn with. Some people on this forum have already sent me some really useful information via PM which I'm grateful to but I've got a few more questions.

I'm doing the FAA PPL as I understand that
- I can then fly planes in the States and here in the UK (after a conversion?)
- The licence doesn't "run out" like a JAA PPL
- I can fly "G" and "N" reg planes

I hope I've understood what I consider the benefits of the FAA PPL correctly, please let me know if I've gone wrong somewhere!

Now, I'm trying to get hold of the training manuals. This is what I'm finding a little hard. I've downloaded some .pdf manuals from the faa website and they do look quite comprehensive but I'm not sure they're the full course.

Has anyone done the FAA PPL and have set of manuals (and where to get them from!) that they could recomend? I'd like to try and do the ground-school work before I head off to the USA.

Many thanks

Nick

[barrow]

Every thing you said is basically true, every 24 months you will need a flight review from an FAA qualified Instructor, in order to keep your flying privileges.
You can find the private practical test standards [pts] on FAA website.
Compared to UK, flying to US standards is tougher, but knowledge required is a joke! For CPL anyway.

Barrow CFI/II/MEI

[nickd01]

I was thinking of the FAA licence because:

- If I don't fly for a while, then I've got the two year limit and the licence never actually expires. I'm not sure whether the JAA PPL requires check-rides every few years and I thought that if it does expire then you then start from scratch?

- I got the impression that learning the FAA licence in the States is a "better " bet with a lot wider choice of schools than learning the JAA licence over there; and cheaper as well.

- I assumed I could convert to a JAA PPL once I'm back in the UK and hold both licences. This could then make hiring planes in the USA (And elsewhere) on holiday a lot easier as the FAA licence is more recognised?

- I do, a few years in the future, want to do some longer distance touring to Europe and I thought the FAA licence gave me a better stepping stone to instrument flying e.t.c if needed.

I'm still learning the differences so please correct me if I've got the wrong end of the stick anywhere.

Many thanks

Nick

[nickd01]

Thanks very much for the comprehensive reply; it certainly gives me stuff to think about.

Nick

[tangovictor]

many people have asked similar questions here, my 2 pence worth, if your going to fly in the UK ( Europe ) learn in the UK / Europe
what you might conceive as a saving, probably won't end up as so.
tv