I am a high time pilot (6000 hours total, 2000 hours flight instructor). Most of my experience in small turboprop and Piper Chieftain aircraft. I recently contacted BFC and spoke with Roy Hitchon about an IR conversion. I was interested in the 10 sim/5 multi program. Roy was very adamant in trying to sell me an IR conversion at 10 multi/5 sim instead of the above.
I asked, "What is the average time of completion that a pilot, with experience as myself, can expect for IR conversion?" He said, "It depends on skill." That wasn't a good enough answer so I asked him again. "What can I expect to see for a completion of an IR conversion?" His response did not make any sense. He said, "American Instrument Ratings are not any good and people will have a hard time flying in the UK." It was a very negative answer.
I was very patient with Roy. In doing so, he admitted that I needed to budget for 30 hours.
I would be very careful with this school for 2 reasons. BFC markets 15 hours IR conversion. This is misleading. Also they are not confident enough, in my eyes as an experienced professional instructor, in their ability to pass people in a given and fair amount of time.
I have seen this strategy of flight schools to make money time and time again. For a school that has been around for ages, BFC must certainly have enough experience, and confidence, to complete IR conversions in a given and set time. Flight schools will entrap a student making them feel guilty about the amount of time and money spent during their course of training thereby psychologically inhibiting that student from leaving and seeking training elsewhere.
Roy specified each flight takes 1.5 hours at a cost of 370 GBP per hour. This is approximately 555 GBP per flight. That is too much money to gamble in a school that cannot give me a concrete answer. I asked him, "What if I need more time?" He said, "We'll give you a deal?"
I will not be attending this school.
Good luck with your training