115 hours in total.

Ok. I am going to give you the advice I wish I'd had when I was in your position. I just piled in and went flying for 100 hours like you're planning to. It was easy, a lot of fun and in hindsight and long term that was a massively expensive decision.

You are about to pay a lot of money to fly 115 hours, so get as much out of it as you can. Think about what you are going to need later on in your career.

Specific advice:
1 Forget about doing the night rating.
2 Spend that cash on a standalone FAA PPL
3 Spend 40 hours getting an FAA IR

Why? You're not really going to rent a plane in the UK at night, so short term you don't need a night rating. Be honest, the only reason you're getting it is because you need it for a CPL. If you have an FAA PPL it automatically comes with night privileges, and as long as you have 5 hours night you will still qualify for an EASA CPL. The REAL reason for getting an FAA PPL is that you can add an FAA IR to it. Trust me, you really DO want to do that - because it will cost next to nothing (just the extra for an Instructor) - but you'll save at least £10,000 back home. An EASA CPL IR course takes 70 hours. With an FAA IR you only need 30 hours.

General advice: make every hour count. Fly at night, under the hood, cross country, PIC. Tick all the boxes.
My biggest regret was not doing my FAA IR. My second biggest regret was not getting more multi time (I'm thinking of becoming an MEP instructor but I need to pay for MEP time, jet time doesn't count! ) Of course you don't have that problem as I just gave you an extra £10k...

Hi Rudestuff,

Thanks for such a detailed and informative reply.

I would have done this a few months ago but its basically too late now to get a Student Visa as I'm leaving on the 2nd of February.

BUT to be honest I didn't find the IR prices in the states much cheaper than for example bartolini air.

again if I had this information a couple of months back I would have done it.

I think I actually got a good deal. $8500 for 115 hours on the 172. It will be shared with another your builder so in total I will be in the airplane for 230 Horus 115 hours of which I will be PIC.

Also every single flight will be Cross Country.

The reason I wanted to do my NR before I go is exactly what you mentioned and to be able to utilise on the hours building and make every hour count and maybe do 20-30 hours of that in night BUT I do need my night rating before I go.

So taking my situation into account do you still not recommend doing a NR before I go?

Thanks so much again.

A US IR can also be included in a foreign-based US private pilot certificate. FAA Order 8900.1, vol 5, ch2, §14 refers. FSIMS link 1, link 2.

Hi Vatir, how long did you licence took to be validated?
I am planning to go in us in February too but I didn’t receive my license verification yet ( I sent it in November )
I am wondering if I should start looking for alternatives.

Hi,
Really?

Mine came in exactly 8 days.

But then I wanted something changed and only in 2 more days it came.

Very good service from both CAA and FAA.

Maybe try giving them both a ring.

Night time hour building
 

Hello people I need to get my 100 night so I can apply for the FAA ATP
I only have 35. Can anyone suggest somewhere in the states I could quickly get this done.

Anyone who is hour building - read the post above

That's what happens later on down the line if you don't think ahead when hour building. Night hours - they're free. It happened to me too - I could have had an FAA IR for the extra cost of an instructor. £1000 would have knocked £8,000 off my EASA training.

Dear all,
I am keen to do 50h building nearby Miami.
I saw flighttimebuilding north of Orlando.
Would you recommend?

Can you please provide feedback on Flighttimebuilding?
They have really good prices...
Any other good alternative?

LPVL, some decent reviews on their Facebook page. I am also considering them.

For how long you are planning to do this? 2 weeks?

Thanks and good luck!

Affirm. 15 days shall be enough.

Quite intensive no? If you take saturday and sunday OFF it's around 5h per day. You planned flying morning and afternoon?

I've noticed a lot of schools in Florida advertise 25 hrs per week for time building (also flying weekends).

5 hours a day should be a minimum - if you're there specifically to hour build. What would you do after lunch?

Start your next cross country flight for your next $100 burger of course.

How about airplanes4rent and pilotsparadise, both in FL.
Anyone's feedback?

Question is:
Pilotsparadise vs Flighttimebuilding vs Airplanes4rent
which one to select.
Could you please provide some words of advice?

Thank you so much.

I am going to Flight time building next months. They seem good