If a decision as uncritical as this one is giving you so much trouble, are you sure you're mentally equipped to fly an aeroplane??!
OATS and BGS are both excellent schools with good reputations; there are many others. Many, many students of these schools have passed the ground exams with flying colours. Inevitably, ex-students will tend to promote their alma-mater, and why not. Remember, after you've got the exams, no-one cares whose course you used.
Your criteria should certainly include the reputation of the school, the impression you get of it having studied Pprune, your personal impression from talking to the school (you
have talked to them, haven't you?) - or, even better, a visit to the school - and looking at their study material. After that, it's a case of value for money, payment methods, practicality, and non-school costs associated with the school's location - and, as you are looking at distance learning, this is a very small factor.
This isn't earth-shatteringly difficult stuff, though you make it sound so.
Scroggs
Virgin/Wannabes Moderator
[email protected]
P.S. You need to check your distances - Bristol is about 80 miles from Heathrow, not 200!