ATP exam location questions.. Help please

[VIRGA]

Just needing some help here people.

Where is the best place to sit the ATP exams?

I will be living in Devon. I have my application here telling me that I can choose Gatwick, Oxford, Silsoe or Glasgow....

What are the disadvantages and advantages of each? Plenty of car parking without that retchid pay and display thing would be nice and obviously quiet and not to crowded. Asking too much?

I would have thought that Gatwick would be 'Traffic noisey', although I haven't been there. Is it's situ in the CAA office area?
Is the Oxford situ in one of the schools at the airport and therefore full of cadets and aircraft noise.

I have looked at the map and seen that a Silsoe is near Luton, is this the same one? What's it like?

Big working areas would obviously be nice.

Why isn't there one or two in the West country? Bournemouth or Exeter?

Thank you in advance.


p.s No offence met to any cadets, it's just that I know there are alot of you which makes up to alot of people... if you know what I mean. :)

[Whispering Giant]

Virga - i also live in Devon and when i did my ATPL's earlier this year i used both Oxford and Silsoe.

the exam venue at Oxford is at Oxford Air training - you dont notice the noise of the aircraft so much in the exam - but you do hear the sound of all the student's walking up and down the corridor outside the exam hall and also those in the classroom above, also if it's a warm day like several were this year it can become a bit of a sauna in the exam room seeing as occassional the air con is'nt working.

the exam venue at Silsoe is good in the respect that there are NO distractions like noise as it's located at Cranfield's university's agricultural college so it's in a nice rural setting, down side is the table's they use are a bit on the small side - so it can get very cramped on your desk when doing the Flight planning and General Navigation exam's.

My personal preference was to use Oxford but only because it is close to my parent's so i did'nt have to find somewhere to stay and so was a easy commute.

It depends on whether you prefer to have a nice big space to work in or prefer to have no distractions to take off the job in hand.

hope this helps'

brgds
W.G

[Flypuppy]

Agree with what Whispering Giant has said about Silsoe. The accomodation in the Conference Center (http://www.silsoe.cranfield.ac.uk/conference/) is reasonably good, and it is only a short walk to the exam hall from your bedroom. Plus you get a huge breakfast in the canteen included in the price (about £30-35 per night). No worries about car parking etc.

The Glasgow exam center is in the Glasgow College of Nautical Studies. The desks are bigger and generally the number of people sitting the exams there seems to be smaller than elsewhere. There is a Tulip Inn (http://tulipinnglasgow.goldentulip.com/) across the road from the Nautical College, where you can get rooms for about £45-50 per night. Traffic and other noise is negligable. From Devon it would probably be easier on the nerves to take the train or fly up if you decided to us this exam center. Taxi from the airport is about £10 or 5 minutes walk from Glasgow Central Station.

Hope that is of some use.

[DanBaxter]

Gatwick as an exam venue is fine. The venue itself is a hut in a quiet corner of the CAA Aviation House complex. It's air conditioned or heated, depending on the season. The noise isn't noticeable much at all, unless its a heavy 747, and even then its just a low rumble. But for me, I liked hearing it....reminded me exactly what was at stake and spurred me on! Oh yes, and there is free parking too!

Daniel

[VIRGA]

Thank you all for the replies. Been a great help. Going to sit half of them in Feb.

Whispering, maybe we shall meet at Exeter sometime, who knows.

Again all very much appreciated.

[Jinkster]

Gatwick as an exam venue is fine. The venue itself is a hut in a quiet corner of the CAA Aviation House complex. It's air conditioned or heated, depending on the season

So does this mean Air con in winter and heat in summer!!! :} :} :} :} :}

I have used Silsoe and its seems to be the best for me commuting for Yorkshire.