I have no doubt that those going there will have good time, get good training and ultimately, like so many others come out qualified to fATPL standard into the real world..just like over 1000 others at the moment!
The main problem, in my opinion, is it is vastly overpriced and the 'value added' they talk about is of limited value to the airlines, despite what they tell you. They get the report from GAPAN where airlines state a preference of what qualities they look for in an FO. Suddenly this springs up in their course, they relabel it, and charge another 10k saying this is the product airlines want, but have they taken any of this superior product?
So you get a seminar about life as an airline pilot, get classes on doing a good PA. Go to visit Rolls Royce, BA Cranebank and do some charity work. Great, but are you suddenly First Officer material? Can you really fly a 737? Who Knows until the end when you do you JOC....on another FNPT II from Schocktronix (sorry I mean Mechtronix)
This APP may well get your an interview, you might cock that up. A Sim ride, again you might cock that up. Their assesment of you in their sim doesn't mean anything, because you are having to do another, possibly on another type, so as for it preparing you for anything is of limited value. At least with CTC, you do AQC and for almost all the airlines they select for you dont need to do a sim ride and or have a formal interview/psychometric test they have dealt with CTC before and know the product, and it is backed up by CTC taking the financial risk on you the pilot. That means a lot. Oxford are not offering anything other than the blind hope that one of the majors who they have dealt with in the past whoes recruitment manager has long since been culled in the last round of cost cutting will deal with them again. And by 'Them' we mean Mike Taylor. What a shining light for you the customer as your middle man.
I would say a guy/girl who has been working in ops for 6 months has a better understanding of life as an airline pilot and airline ops than any First Officer Fundementals week, followed by a presentation of two gold bars to further segregate the APP from the rest of Oxford's customers.
BBA paid upwards of 40million for Oxford. Sure that included the airport. But it cant take much more than a Falcon and is a Non-Precision approach add to that a narrow runway with no hope of an ILS due to planning constraints. That is a hell of a lot for what is no more than a Commercial Flying school that is not a TRTO. They have huge fixed costs and need punters rolling through the door thick and fast which they just arent at the moment. Oxford's answer, advertise more and cut the instructors wages. Net result, instructors leave....I would say that they are the only thing keeping the place going at the moment, oh and all the hot air being pumped out of the marketing dept. Which I have to say is very convincing and very professional, but then that is why they are paid so much, and the poor guys flying the line are taking the brunt....but then that's life as a pilot these days I guess, we always know better than management
If you take one thing from this, to anyone thinking of going to Oxford for APP, or LPP go in with your eyes open. Dont be sold to by some very convincing people. If you think I am being cynical read the top paragraph. Just remember there are other places where you can 'suceed through their experience'.....