Just completed day one of the assessment in London. The hotel is a 5 minute walk from the facility. Go out the Ibis lobby, turn left, walk 2 minutes to the round-about, then left for another 2 - 3 minutes. Couldn't be easier.
We have 8 in our group, so 4 started at 9am at the Oxford Aviation Academy near Gatwick airport, and 4 in the afternoon at 2:30pm. It was interview and computer tests. All very easy [edit: I'm told people actually FAIL this stuff. There's really nothing to study, secondary school geometry, basic conversions in metric to english measure, hand eye coordination, very basic ATP questions]
The group that is one day ahead of us met up with two Captains from Arik, and were taken to Heathrow airport to fly the B737 sim at British Midlands instead of the B737 here at Oxford in Gatwick. I'm told it's about a 30 minute drive.
It looks like my afternoon group will do the same tomorrow afternoon at 2pm.
I went up to Victoria train station in London this morning, and did a tour of Buckingham Palace. Cost £4.50 for the shuttle to the Gatwick airport, £18 round trip on the "GatwickExpress" train (leaves every 30 minutes at :20 and :50, returns every 30 minutes at :00 and :30). I took a cab instead of calling for the hotel shuttle on my return (pickup is at spot 12 at Gatwick south terminal, phone to call the hotel is yellow with number posted there). Taxi cost £11.50.
About an hour total time each way.
Right now, a US dollar is about 2:1, so double everything. It ain't cheap. and with the world finance melt down, it'll probably get worse.
The hotel has a free breakfast from 4am to 10am. Cereal, fruit, toast, coffee, deli meats. Internet and TV costs £9.95 each 24 hours. If you want movies, they're another £5.95 each.
Internet is not wifi, so you have to use their short cable, or bring your own longer one. They do have a computer in the lobby, and I think it is £1 for 10 minutes.
There's a quick shop about a 10 minute walk south, and a little cottage restaurant [breakfast / lunch only] maybe 4 minutes south, on the opposite side of the street from the hotel. To the north, about 3 minute walk, is a bar / pub.
I'm going to eat, hope this helps somebody.
Last edited by TonyWilliams; 2nd Oct 2008 at 17:48.