Hedges81, I take it you didn't like OAT then? Sorry about that.
Umm, where does everybody get that Oxford are 30K more expensive than everyone else? Who are you making the comparison with? I visited Jerez and they have quite an involved campus on a former military base with hangers where you could eat your dinner off the floor and a lot of white wash. They and Cabair as far as I am concerned are the only competition at this level of FTO. They are only about 5k different in price, if that. Especially when you take into account the things they don't include on the course such as FOF, JOC, interview prep and career advice.
I don't want to go to school in a WW II era nissan hut on an old airfield, where people wear grubby T-shirts, which is what a lot of UK GA is. Those are the schools that charge 30k less and have a/c that go u/s suddenly, can you come back tomorrow... (Which is what my PPL experience was). There's no comparison to the top 3 FTO's which is really the debate.
The airlines visit the top 3 FTOs and its about keeping them impressed as well as potential students.
As far as the uniforms go, you're going to have to wear one in the job, you may as well get used to it. FTE give you 6 white shirts and 3 pairs of trousers when you start, unfortunately you have to dress yourself!
Scroggs, I picked this up from one of your other postings:
Started as a glider pilot in 1970, at 15. Started training on jets in the RAF in 1977, age 21. Became a captain on Hercules in 1983, age 27. Became an RAF QFI (instructor) in 1987 on Bulldogs and, later, back on Hercules. Joned Virgin on the B747-200 in 1998. Moved to the A340 in 2002. Currently doing command conversion.
Have somewhere around 14000 hours (must do my logbook!), but only about 10 types: Jet Provost T3/5, Hawk, Hunter FGA9/T7, Jetstream T1, Hercules C1/K/3, Bulldog, Chipmunk, B742, A343, A346. Flown (but not operational on) several others: Lightning, VC10, Tristar, Tucano, Robin, Seneca, Chinook, Sea King, HH53, and probably a few others!
In other words: been there, done that, got the T-shirt!
Scroggs
You have had a fantastic career and I must admit that I am jealous, as ugly as that seems. I would just love to lick some of the aircraft you have flown let alone fly them! But as our "Slightly Bemussed Moderator" isn't your role to stop us from squabling amongst our selves rather than offer advice, especially as you have never had to have the angst of which school to choose and drop 60k at? You banned King Rooney for bashing OAT and you're not a fan either.
Muddy Boots
I hope that doesn't get me banned for a week like King Rooney!
