This is my first time posting on pprune but as someone who has experienced CATS in 2007/8 I have to chip in.
Firstly I find the appalling manipulation of this website by employees and associates of the owner of CATS (on this thread and others) is disgraceful. This is why I hate this once credible forum which has been hijacked by people pushing their own business and personal agendas and can't be relied upon in any shape or form. You don't have to trust me either but don't say you weren't warned.
In this thread we have 3 posters whom I KNOW are related to CATS (just search their previous posts for further proof);
gmac1977
sion22
matty31
On other threads there are others who have yet to make an appearance here.
Anyway, back to the real subject which is the joke that is CATS. Don't let the cheap price of the distance learning courses sway your basic instincts. The price is low and the quality is worse. If you like any sort of organisation this is not the place for you. The ATPLs are enough work without having the additional stress and worry of not having any support or help from your school. This place manages to make everything harder than it already is. I, like all the other CATS students I met, had to really work extra hard to get the good results the school boasts about. It was with no thanks to CATS, I assure you of that.
I had the CATS notes and was never impressed especially when I compared them to a mates who went to a more reputable school. I was shocked at the difference, more concise, better diagrams, relevant tests and no factual errors (my favourite). Don't bother suggesting improvements as nobody cares.
When you show up for a brush up don't be worried by the state of disrepair the prefab is in and the smell of CATS urine - it's all perfectly normal, the place looks like a bomb went off. Anyway, you're only there for a week at a time so at least thats something (pity the full time guys). Somebody actually goes to the trouble of doing up a schedule for the week but it isn't worth the paper it's written on. Random or no lessons are the norm, the only saving grace being Mike. Anything you can't get you're head around at home? Forget any help here. Sure just do another bogus 'progress' test which are comical and a complete waste of time and frequently have wrong answers.
The impression I got was that the whole place is basically a play school for the owner and his pals while you fund their various escapades. There are much better schools out there especially if you want some backup and not to be treated like the latest mug to walk through the door.
P.S. They have the worst C152s I've ever seen. Do not approach.
P.P.S. If I was considering doing ATPLs now I'd put them on the back burner for the moment until things show signs of picking up again (not soon).
