hi economist
i would stear you in the direction of this thread in the same forum (OAT Europes finest?) its a month or so old
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...hreadid=168778
i had a couple of posts with perhaps 5 or 6 questions in total which, admittadly some would be tough to answer without info direct from the training provider themselves, but hopefully they are questions anybody ready to shell out £20k+ would be wanting to ask the FTO's they were considering.
it must be pointed out that a school which may be perfect for you may not be so for the next student, and the decision shouldnt be based purely on costs alone.
to this end, i get the impression there is a two tier system at OATS, nothing to the contrary has been forthcoming from my posts. but i do know quite a few modular bods who went to OATS and were v disappointed, to the extent that 2 of them actually left because the training was taking so long to complete,the others who elected to remain on ended up paying a lot more, in terms of time and accommodation, from what they had originally been quoted in terms of timescale to complete the training. dont get me wrong, i am not bashing OATS, i know a couple of guys who did the APP course and were happy with what they got for their money. but i think you need to realise that if you are a modular guy at OATS you are at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to training slots, instructors, aircraft etc.
ask yourself the question, where do you think your money is going to be most valued ? a place where you are effectively just a training file or a place where everybody is going to know you by name ? if you have visited both schools and are honest with yourself, i am sure the answer is a simple one.
good luck with your decision, which ever you choose its going to entail a lot of hard work, dedication and concentration, but will ultimately be v rewarding !