Hi. For many reasons I haven't posted anything in months but I'd really like to jump to Roys defence.
Firstly to ask any school to give you an exact number of hours to complete a conversion is crap. The same for an IR, any published hours are minimum hours you'll be flying. Someone with as much experience as Oxfordman should know this.
You really would be shooting yourself in the foot if you take BFC off your list.
BFC handled my CPL Multi/IR flight training with absolute professionalism. They were more expensive than most other modular schools but every day I entered their building I knew I'd get value for money. Instruction really was superb, damm swipe cards to enter the building and pay for flights.
Real brefing rooms, with whiteboards that are actually used after every flight.
Accessable computerized flight and student accounts and full access to the instructors. Open door policy with anyone in BFC, if you fancied a chat with Roy he always made time.
Once I reached the IR stage I was short on time. There's not much a school can do as they've got lots of students but they did tolerate and even encourage my own timetable modifications to fit in extra flights and sim sessions.
The day of my IR skill test I was actually short 1.2 hours so they arranged a quick pre flight with an instructor. I was only short because I took the test a few days early when another student cancelled.
I know schools change as instructors leave so a recommendation isn't worth much and I'd always we hesitant to offer one because of that: based on my experience though I'd wholeheartedly recommend BFC.
I had bad flights in the sim and aircraft, aircraft did go tech, instructors are sometimes sick, but my God it's the real world and **** happens. When it did happen BFC were right on the ball organizing extra flights or offering a different instructor.
I've been through a few more training phases since Bristol and at each phase I've commended myself for choosing BFC.
If I could I'd walk you in the door and introduce you to all the guys in Bristol and show you the sim and aircraft, chat about accomadation and great scenary around the area. Please read this post as a virtual introduction to BFC. With your experience you know how bad training can effect your flying, you've invested too much so far to wipe these guys off your list.