BCFT Jetline Course feedback & ATPL GS

[twhite1]

Hi

I am seriously thinking about getting the ball rolling by starting my ATPL studies in the next few months and considering the Jetline course at Bournemouth Commercial Flight Training Centre (BCFT).

I already hold a PPL and have 98 hours, 19hours solo and 79 hours dual. I have had a cabin crew job for 3 years now which has earnt me lots of experience, whilst keeping up to date with the current job market and the best way to go about getting that first job. For my own personal reasons and circumstances, I have focussed on the modular route and am very impressed by the course that BCFT offers.

Taking one step at a time, I am going down to gatwick for my initial Class 1 next week and then soon after will be visiting Bourenmouth to aid my decision and to visit accommodation options. Even if i am not impressed with the flying side of things, their ATPL residential course (6 months) looks promising which will then give me observation to how the flying side of things operates.

I am in search for anyone who has recently visited or studied at BCFT say within the last year and could kindly give me any feedback on the impression or instruction you got. I am not going to let any reviews on here sway me from visiting BCFT in the next few weeks but the more information I have the better.

I would like to know things like:
-classroom tuition: Time spent in classroom, quality of instruction/availibility of support, quality of notes/resources etc
-Value for money, does level of training justify £3250 for full time residential?
-pass rates
-Student/Instructor morale
-Availability of aircraft
-HIDDEN COSTS like landing fees, im aware caa exams not included and VAT is inclusive

I would appreciate any information on this Training provider as having done a search on here shows quite outdated sources of information.

[piper88]

I'm interested too, but I sent them an email to have some information about atpl ground school residential and the accomodation, but they didn't answer to me... I think the next 15 20 days i'll come to bcft to visit the school and take a look to the accomodation...do you know when start the next atpl ground school?

[windypops]

I decided to just pay for the groundschool at BCFT as at the time I wasn't certain I wanted to stay on and do the flying training with them.

After a few months I realised I had made the right choice and in the end went elsewhere for the CPL and IR.

When I was there (a few years ago now) the groundschool was very good, with experienced instructors who taught well. Only a few of us passed them all first time but this is not a reflection on the staff. You must must must recognise your weaknesses and revise the heck out of them. In the run up to the exams I was putting in more revision than I ever did for school/college and university exams. On exam day I was up at 5:30am revising, going in and sitting the exams and then straight back into revision. In the evening it was a quick bite to eat and then more revision until 10 ish. Rinse and repeat.

The guys who dropped a couple of exams, by their own admission, didn't do as much revision as we did.

I didn't stay on to fly at BCFT as I personally felt it wasn't for me. There were at the time some individuals in the teaching staff who I just felt would not teach me in the way I wanted to be taught. I went on to another school who in my opinion gave me a more professional CPL and IR course.

The thing to remember is that a school is only ever as good as its quality of staff. I'm aware that a few years after I was there some of the groundschool lecturers are still about but others have moved on. The only way to find out what it's like "now" is to visit and chat to current students.

The jetline course is a good way for BCFT to keep students on after groundschool by offering a saving if you sign up to it. I would say unless you are 100% convinced then don't go for it. I passed my CPL and IR first time and in minimum hours, I strongly believe if I had stayed on at BCFT I wouldn't have achieved that, and when additional hours in a twin are needed the final training bill soars and any savings will be eaten into very quickly.

The above is just my personal opinion, some of the guys on my course went all the way through and were happy with the service provided.

[twhite1]

Many thanks for your reply windypops. I really appreciate your personal feedback and realize it is your opinion however, it is something to bear in mind when I pay them a visit soon. I will definatly not pay upfront for the Jetline course however, I feel I will start off in the way you did by investing in the ATPL exams and making my own judgement.

Would it be too cheeky of me to ask where you went onto to complete your CPL/IR? Only I have had a few responses in the past that people have done their ATPL ground school with BCFT but gone on to complete their CPL/IR elsewhere and was wondering if it were this same training provider still located at Bourenmouth?

Thanks again for your time to reply.

And Piper88, the email I have been using for contact is this: [email protected]

Bournemouth Commercial Flight Training (http://www.bcft.uk.com/)

Next course starts 5th March and roughly 4/5 more throughout 2012.

I made the same mistake. :)

[windypops]

Hi

Once I had finished my exams I went and visited quite a few schools again. I was aware that places can change and so filled the car and hit the road.

I didn't fly in Bournemouth.

Good luck!

[piper88]

do you guys think that is not too good bcft for atpl groundschool course? there is another option in uk (excluding oaa) that is better than bcft? becouse i am undecided between this school and flying time aviation.

[Flaymy]

I was chatting to someone who was at BCFT fairly recently, and it appears there has been a change of personnel at a critical level in the flight training department. So windypops's adverse assessment is probably out of date!

[CPL]

BGS for distance learning or OAA for class room based, even tho OAA do advise to get BGS question bank off the record, but OAA are a little dear

[windypops]

So windypops's adverse assessment is probably out of date!

It is "out of date". The clue is.......

When I was there (a few years ago now)

[Flaymy]

I read that; however senior personnel are often in place for many years. It is relevant then that I had heard that a certain person, who some did not get on with although others liked, is no longer at BCFT.

[zondaracer]

I was at BCFT recently, and I found all the staff to be quite nice. What I really liked about BCFT was the social atmosphere. Lots of students go to the school and hang out all day in order to study and work on things, so you meet lots of other students.

I can´t speak for their pass rates, but in my time there, most guys seemed to be getting first time passes from PPL through FI.

[dodos9]

Hello everyone!

I do NOT want to 'steal' this thread, but I have a quick question: How does the Jetline course at BCFT differ to all the others ATPL courses offered by different FTOs? I am asking because Jetline course costs nearly half a price compared to the others'.

[Flaymy]

Are you comparing it with integrated courses?

[dodos9]

Are you comparing it with integrated courses?

Yes. They are all about 80 000 GBP.

[Flaymy]

BCFT only does modular training. I assume in the Jetline course they do it back-to-back full time, to integrate the training themselves.

It is more expensive to run integrated training and pay marketing people to persuade people there is some point to getting less experience and less enjoyment of flying while paying more money. Hence the insane price tag on integrated courses.