I attended OFT for 3 months last year from Oct 06 till Jan 07. OFT is not the worst school you'll attend, but its by far not in the league of say, Flight Safety Academy. Oft are a medium size operation. Dispite the "negative press" they are very popular. So I can assure you its not the end of the world attending.
It all boils down to you!!
First things first!
Make sure you vist BEFORE you attend. See the place, the people, speak to JP or Steve Drummond face to face. Look around, take a back seat flight, ask questions!
Course prices:
Get every course quote in writing first. Finalise it as if you were closing a big business transaction where both you and OFT agree at the price, extra costs, time frames and what to expect. If you don't do this, and get "screwed" its squarely YOUR FAULT!!! Dont read the hype in the UK and assume it would be as printed!
Money:
DO NOT SEND LARGE SUMS OF MONEY IN ADVANCE!! Agree on a payment schedule that you are happy with, and GET IT IN WRITING! Think about opening a bank account in the US. I think Wachovia Bank, (15 min walk) can help you. Use travellers cheques or cash or the new travellers cheque card with a £3,000 limit. But choose a payment method that is convinient to you and takes into account the amount of money you are paying.
Airplanes:
The airplanes are average, and they can go tech (like all planes!!!) So be prepared. Don't have high expectations of a 2007 172 SP with all the bells and whistles! Their C172's average year of manufacture 1999/2000, so they are decent. But this is a flight school, where students of all ability bang them up! So they are not perfect! The cadets are more prone to going tech, so be prepared for this. The multi engine aircraft are around 1979-1985 era. So they are not new, but do the job.
Instructors:
Instructors range from excellent, to very average. If you don't like your instructor, just ask the chief pilot to change. But don't expect a organised ground school. I suggest you do all ground exams in the UK. If you are doing the ATPL's at OFT, the facilities are brand new, so you would like the environment. But as they are still new to teaching ATPL ground, its not quite like Oxford!!
Accomodation:
The Best Western is a decent tourist class hotel. It is a very comfortable place to stay. But is about a 30 min walk from the school, in hot Florida sunshine with your flight gear! Keep this in mind unless you have a car. Plus fridges and microwaves cost extra. So you need to be prepared for this unless you rich enough to eat out 3 times a day!
The Apartments are 5 min walk to the old school facility and about 30-40 to the new. (They have shuttel service from the apartments to the new school I believe) But it is very conveniently located to shops and the school. But its not the Ritz Carlton, so don't expect super luxury! They are very comfortable and do the job. (A place for your head to rest every night, not be pampered!) Every student has their own room, shower and you share living room and kitchen. The scocialising with other pilots in other ajacent apartments is great!
In conclusion, do the research. I strongly recommend flying to Florida for 2-3 days and visiting. I did it. I flew out to NY Friday night at 8pm, overnighted in NY, Flew to florida via Song the next morning, visited OFT at lunch time, then back up to NY that evening. Overnighted in NY, then flew via an American Airlines morning flight back to London. Arived home 10pm Sunday night! But if you have more time, please maximise it. Tight, yes, tiring yes, worth it, YES!!!
Don't believe the hype, some people have good experiences, some have bad ones. I find those who expect way too much, end up disappointed. So keep the bar of expectation lower, and remember, you are there to fly first, be a tourist second! (If you can manage the spare time). You will be worked hard, and will fly hard. Remember, weather is not always perfect, so you will have delays from time to time. So if they say 21 days, try and budget for 30 days. A good rule of thumb, budget 15-20% extra ontop of the course prices to cover last min expenses. You think you will pass first time??! Flying is not as easy as riding a bike!!!! If you have to retake tests its gonna cost, so budget for that!
Work hard, be prepared to study every night for 3 hours or so, and have fun!
OFT is a decent school!
