I didn't use either school so can't comment on them. You are right that it is down to you as a distance learner to put the work in to pass the exams. All schools will offer you support though so you aren't right out on a limb. If money is the biggest factor, then save some for the flying. The amount of work & effort you put in to pass the exams first time is down to you alone. If you put the effort in, you will pass first time irrespective of who you study with. Quality of study materials will be a factor also. I received a CD with the books in PDF format and also hard copies but found the hard copies suited me better. Bristols online question bank is very useful and anyone can subscribe for £50/3 months, I used it for my final few exams & it really helped.