FAA vs EASA
 

I understand there are mixed views when it comes to aviation authorities and which one to pursue you in converting or gaining your licenses and ofcourse working under however I'd really like to hear people's opinions on my approach towards becoming an commercial pilot.

I'm a british citizen and understand I have two of the best academies in the world under my nose however I decided to train (PPL/IR/CPL) in America. Now I have no intentions of working in America whatsoever but what I do know is that FAA is recognised in many airlines and continents except Europe ofcourse (and maybe another few I'm not aware of) Now since I've made it very clear I do not have any plans of working in America, ATPL is something I'm certainly pursuing after completion of my current training. Now what I had in mind was that I would find another school in America offering ATPL training and go ahead with that, in result leaving me with a frozen ATPL from there onwards I plan to apply for airlines in the middle East as according to threads on here some hire pilots with fATPL. Some even no TR.

Would you say I'm on a right path or is there something I don't know

Your advice/opinions are truly benefitial as I'm only 18 trying to achieve my dream.

You are on the right track, continue.

I have seen many pilots with a lot of different training histories and the ones with the least long-term trouble are the one with FAA track. There are two things in an FAA track, one is the general reputation of planes being an ordinary transport vehicle equal to all others, second and maybe a result of it the big size of the market. In almost no other country a small plane is thought as equal to a car as there. Together with a society, which is (was, as it is fading a bit under Obama legislation) based on the individual with rules supporting people, not people following rules as in Europe or increasingly Africa, this gives a very pragmatic training for the FAA track. As the FAA is so big, almost any other country or license system did find a way to validate or convert a FAA license into their spheres. So, yes, stay on FAA track and if you need something else, just convert, but stay basic FAA.

Except there's no "frozen" ATP in FAA land. You get your commercial certificate then when you get close to 1500 hours you complete the week long ATP Certificate Training Program then pass your written and when you hit 1500 hours take the checkride. So the path is "commercial pilot," "commercial pilot with ATP written passed" and "ATP pilot."

Note where the two posts above come from - you need advise from some people who are working where you intend to work.

If you are a British Citizen and plan to work in the EU you will need EASA.

Completing FAA then converting to EASA is no longer cheaper than just doing EASA, with the new conversion requirements.
If you want both go to a school which specialises in both simultaneously, but there are only 1 or 2 of these.

Which are?? Curious about this 'understanding'.

18yo British citizen living in Doha. Expat parents/family I presume, or at least one of the parents. I'm not up-to-date with ME airlines' recruitment, but what I do see online - Emirates or other airlines in the region - it's hiring FOs with some experience on twinjets or at least heavy turboprops.

Yes, lot more options to locals/nationals but unsure whether it applies to you.

18 year old born in UK, lived in Doha then moved to California to begin flight training.

I understand the American route to becoming a pilot. Completion of CPL then clock 1500 I'm not after a position in America I want to complete my CPL then go for my ATPL resulting me with a fATPL I believe and move back to Middle East or somewhere else where I can fly for a living other than America

CTC Aviation/ Oxford Aviation

CTC/OAA the best academies in the world? More like the most overrated and expensive academies in the world.

Saying that, if you want a jet job in the UK straight after training then unfortunately you will have to pay these leeches.

If you go for your ATP that will result in you getting an ATP (if I understand go for) which requires 1500 hours. You can complete the ATP CTP and pass the written and wave the written results around. What you call yourself at that point is between you and your CAA. In the FAA's eyes you are a commercial pilot.

I am curious, where are you planning to get your 1500 hours?

I believe it is very hard to get any job with an FAA CPL without hours. So the issue is where will you get the hours for an FAA ATP?

Cadet programs in the ME are only open for locals, as far as I understand.

In my opinion you might as well swallow the apple and get your EASA CPL, as sooner or later you will most likely have to do it.

You save nothing going to the USA for CPL / IR first. Depends what your plans are.

1500 hours is very hard to get, but with EASA CPL you have chance with some companies to get a first job as cadet.

I do not want to work in America however I do know a few pilots in the Middle East that managed to land in the flightdeck with fATPL (PPL+IR+CPL+ATPL Exams)

sspencer1248 - "with fATPL (PPL+IR+CPL+ATPL Exams)"

You are not very clear in your intentions by writing this, and I am not sure if you really understand what this is.

Do you have work permit/citizenship for any of the ME countries?
Do you have the Green card or citizenship in the USA?

fATPL is term used for EASA licence, has nothing to do with any FAA licence. fATPL is not a licence, it is just a condition of your licence until you have acquired the right amount of experience and skills, so you get issued an ATPL licence.

With the FAA you will only get a CPL/IR, you then have to convert all to EASA licence. So you actually doing double job, and as the current situation is you are not saving any money on this, unless you have the chance to instruct in the USA for few years to get some more hours and experience.

After you have FAA CPL/IR, you have to make a conversion course in EASA land, but only after you have done your 14 ATPL exams. You will then get a EASA CPL/IR with ATPL exams credited - this is what is called fATPL.

In addition you will need to do a MCC course.
So by the time you have done this, depending on how you do it, expect at least 18 - 24 months to convert licence incl. ATPL exams.

Going directly to ME with an FAA CPL/IR and no hours, and not being local from one of these ME countries, I would say it would be more or less impossible to get a job there. I might be wrong, but I think you will discover most have had residency or been very well connected with the company/government official's.

Pretty much impossible. There are some exceptions, for example the Etihad international cadet program that they put on recently, which turned out to be quite competitive. But my advice for the OP, don't hedge your bets on one slim possibility. It might work out for you but it most likely won't. I know how it is to be 18 and optimistic. Reality is that you will most likely need to get relative experience in your home country or be willing to go to the bush somewhere unless you get lucky.