FI Courses
It really does depend on where you live. There are some quality courses to be had and some which just tick the boxes. I have met instructors who do not appear to know their way around any basic CAA or JAR documentation and have also never apparently given a lecture, a long brief and a short brief which does profer the question as to what they did do with the 125 hours on the ground during thier course.
If anyone offers you a course that lasts less than 4 weeks you are being sold a lemon unless it is 7 days a week and you will be in no fit state to receive instruction after 14 days solid so will need some time off.
Dorothy Pooley I know personally and by reputation and have yet to find a pilot with a bad word to say about her professionalism and Chris Caine I have heard of but never met and carries the same reputation.
All the instructors that I have met from On_Track are very good.
Shall probably receive a roasting for this one but the ex CFS chaps seem to have the best instructional courses on offer to do with respects standardization, methodology and structure. I am however slightly biased as I prefer a standards based instruction which doesn't appear to be the civilian norm.
One of the most important factors though is size and future employment. Some schools will only employ thier own home grown instructors. Aeros Gloucester, Wycombe, Wolverhampton Flight Centre, BCFT and SkyLeisure @ Shoreham come to mind straight away but I can't speak for anyone north of Birmingham.
To this end if you want to work at any large school you will probably have to train with them. If on the other hand you want to work at a smaller school which doesn't run its own FICs then go for quality just don't believe the pants they tell you about being able to find you a job unless it is in black and white.
I had an excellent FIC instructor and a very good course but felt lied to by the mangement team who told me that they would try to help find me employment and did not make a single phone call when they had stated prior that they always placed their instructors, etc, etc PM me for further info.