What is the difference if I study in the UK or the Philippines?

Come to the US. Here’s from the the website of a well respected training outfit (Justice at KSMO):

Estimated Private Pilot Cost:
65 hours in a Cessna 172 at $123.00………$7,995
40 hours flight instruction at $65……………$2,600
20 hours ground instruction at $65………….$1,300
Written test………………………………………$100
Flight test…………………………………………$500
TOTAL $12,495.00

It’s probably a little more by now (they just increased the rental prices by a few dollars), but the above equals around GBP 8200.-

You’ll learn much more than in the UK (night flight, flying ‘in the system’, mountains, instrument navigation) and the airplanes aren’t the usual totally shagged UK training wrecks. Then go flying and after 100 (150?) hours do the conversion to a EASA license. Voila, you’ve now got two of the most widely recognized pilot’s licenses in the world, FAA and EASA. And probably have lot more fun too in Southern California, but that’s for a different thread ;-))

What is the current situation on EASA PPLs in the USA?

For many years it was six schools in Florida and one in S. California. They operated, IIRC, under UK CAA (or Netherlands?) approvals.

I agree that getting EASA and FAA licenses in one go is a brilliantly efficient step.

The costs of neiiilm are for PPL, CPL and IR. Not sure the US can beat them. However in both cases CPL/IR conversion to EASA requires a theory test (full exam) and a skill test flight in Europe. For the theory one also needs to visit an EASA recognized school if the total flight time is less than 500 hours. At least that’s what a friend of mine with FAA and South African CPL/ATPL had to do (no school required because he had more than 500 hours).

If you do look at the FAA route, it depends on what type of flying you want to do – but if you like to fly Annex 2 aircraft (e.g. vintage types, orphaned types, homebuilts etc) in the UK, you can do so on an FAA PPL at least day VFR indefinitely with no need to transfer to EASA. (However it’s still a good idea to do a bit of conversion training to get used to the differences between US and UK procedures, but most of this can be done on the ground).

This guy is after a PPL only.

You cannot do the EASA IR in the USA anyway (never could).

The EASA CPL, historically Yes, not sure about today.

OK, here’s another one in SoCal (don’t know them personally), UK Flight Training:

Admittedly, had overlooked that the Filipino prices are all the way to the IR (hadn’t had my coffee yet….), that’s really hard to beat, although should be doable in the US (and then of course you have an FAA license).

Peter wrote:

This guy is after a PPL only.

He says he wants to start his PPL but then gives prices for CPL and IR as well. I understand it as “I want to start with PPL and then climb further to CPL and IR”.

Peter wrote:

You cannot do the EASA IR in the USA anyway (never could).

Are you sure about that Peter? The aforementioned friend of mine (with FAA and SA license) did the full (12 subjects) EASA theory exam and a skill test flight which was identical to my CPL/MEP/IR skill test (one leg IR, two legs VFR, emergencies, engine failures, etc.) and got his CPL/IR/MEP/ATPL theory converted to EASA. He now flies on Swiss registered aircraft commercially, both VFR and IFR with that license. The only thing he could not transfer was his FAA A320 type rating because he never actually flew an A320 and FAA is happy with simulator only while EASA requires three actual landings (so they told him to “quickly rent an A320” and make the three landings and that would also transfer the type rating).

Vladimir wrote:

Peter wrote:

You cannot do the EASA IR in the USA anyway (never could).

Seems to be the case, see here, from the UK Flight Training website: Please Note: (NO JAA IR TRAINING IS ALLOWED IN THE USA)

Vladimir wrote:

so they told him to “quickly rent an A320” and make the three landings and that would also transfer the type rating).

….as one does!

It may have been possible to do a Swiss (non EU) IR in the USA.