JAA ATPL Distance Learning Ground School

[mau mau]

Hello guys,
I'm italian and need to convert my FAA licence.
So first thing is get ATPL; distance learning is my way but I need to choose between CATS and BRISTOL.

About Bristol, there is only and always good words, it's one of the best schools.....about CATS i don't found anything.

The price is different: Distance learning with CATS is 1000£ (on line course, I don't think books or other) Bristol is 2100£.

CATS split exam in 3 and need 5 days brush up before each session.....Bristol split in 2 with 2 weeks (!!!!) brush up before each session.
2 weeks is a lot of time, because is 2 brush up + 1 exam...at the end 6 weeks. Very hard for one that work like me, and I assume 2 weeks brush up are compulsory.
May I have some witness about CATS?

[gmac1977]

mau mau,

Ive just finished the CATS online course and found the course to be very good. Average 92% on all exams

I paid £999 for the online course and it included the groundschool, progress tests came free JAA question banks.

No doubt some will recommend other ATPL providers but i only have good words to say about the CATS system.

The price was one of the key reasons why i chose them.

good luck with your decision:ok:

[Turbine King]

You dont have too look far

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=242848

My brother did the course so that is why I knew first hand how good CATS are

[Capt.Easy]

Hey Mau Mau,

i can recommend Bristol. I've done my ATPL this year with them. Despite of my bad englisch experience in the beginning of this course, i passed all exam in once with an average of 90%.

The Instuctors are pretty good (THANK YOU AGAIN BGS). Tey explain everything easy that you will understand everything after this two weeks, thrust me.

The price is not as high. if you think, you get 7 binder with very good quality paper, you get animated explanations on a software and they have a very good suport if you have any question about the subjects.

cheers

[mau mau]

Hello guys, thank you for answers, thank you capt. easy. where are you from?

The first problem is 2 weeks for brush up!!! at the end it will be 2 +1 weeks for first session and 2 + 1 for second session. 6 weeks at the end is too much time for someone that work.
In my opinion, 1 week is more than enought.

And more: why Bristol fees are 2100£ and CATS only 1000£? it's more than double!
CATS split the exam in three and is only 5 days the brush up.

Other costs is the Ticket back and for Italy-UK: since i save 1000£ with CATS, i can use it for ticket.
So at the end i'm really confused, I don't know where to go. :ugh:

[Capt.Easy]

I don't think that one week is enough and all my ex colleagues from Bristol would agree.

You have two options to pass the ATPL:

1. You understand the stuff
2. You just learn the questions. :ugh: stupid but will work.

Next is with BGS you get REAL paper in very good quallity and the best Instructors who i ever had :D

I don't know so much about cats therefore i can only say something about BGS.

[mattias424]

Hello everyone!

I´m attending the OAT distance learning course here in Sweden. And we go completly on OAT and rely on their teachers and site for all the help we need. From what I´ve heard from the other students after just finishing our first 2 weeks intensive session (half through) is that Oxford vary quite a bit when it comes to answer emails. I was obviously the lucky one. I had all my questions answered same day or day after! But some of the students didn´t have the same luck. Some claim they waited for weeks.

Anyway, things to consider when you´re choosing between distance learning and going there fulltime is among other things the following:

* Do you have good enough studying technique?

* Do you have approx. 25-35 hours aside per week to study?
(I for sure can tell you that the recommended minimum of 15 hours are easily exceeded, some weeks you need more than others but be realistic).

* Do you have the choice to go fulltime? That means can you afford time off or leave from work for 7 months?

* If you go to fulltime you get alot for free, fast answer of questions and for many like me for example you get the discipline, you got to attend the classes.

Well having all that said. I just have to say it´s really a shock when you get all your study material. 45 kilos of books and papers!
I´m not kidding! I had to put the box on the scale here!

The DHL guy that delivered it here to my door asked what was in it so I told him and he just couldn´t believe it.

Anyway in my case I think the teachers that I had during my first 2 weeks intensive course have overall been great. I never had the option of joining the 7 month fulltime studies at the school because of work. And of course I can´t quit working either since I´m the one supporting us (my wife and me) since she´s still studying as well.

The only thing I heard about Bristol is that their questions are very similar to the real exam ones.

Best wishes no matter which way you choose to go.

In the end it will be your own determination that will get you were you want.

Flying is living and living is flying.
// Mattias

[CloudBoy]

It seems you only need to spend two minutes on these forums to read enough to convince you that BGS holds the most favour amongst most people. I would go buy it tommorrow from what I have read.

However, I also keep reading how important it is (if possible) to maintain a consistant training record with the most reputable FTO you can, i.e avoid broken and bitty training records.

This leads me to want to complete my training post exams at Oxford with the Waypoint programme.

But you cannot do this having done your exams at BGS?? :ugh:

My friend has just completed the first set of exams with BGS and never ceases to rave about them. I guess I wish I could read more positive reviews on Oxford to help me make my decision...

Thoughts?

CB

[cplpilot]

Hello everybody,
i am living in Canada (Toronto) and have a wife, son and a mortgage + a full-time job to support all this...
I am planning to convert my canadian CPL ME-IFR to a Jar and i was looking at Moncton flying college or Naples air center.
First, is it true that i must do the medical in UK? can i do it in north America or Italy(i am Italian)?
Any experience with these 2 schools?
Thanks to all!!!

[lc_aerobatics]

I'm pretty sure you can, I did mine in UK and had exams in Poland.
They've got better system there as you have your exams at the computer , and you get your exam result imediately after exam, just like Bristol.

[mb2ai]

Hello PPrunerz!

So,

by going by what sombody else said about the mminum time credited for studying for ATPL GS....

your only credited 15 hours a week, and you have to do 660 in total, so they expect you to take 44 weeks?

If I wanted to do DL with OATs instead of doing it full time, bearing in mind that I know I can study efficiently by myself for 6 months, I still have to wait 44 weeks. I personally reckon that I can do it in under 26 weeks, and bloddy well too. Im doing my ppl full time at the mo, and after that i want to do my ATPL's full time, via DL.

Your thoughts please!

Mb:cool:

[bluenose81huskys]

hI mb2AI,

YOU CAN PUT AS MUCH TIME AS YOU WANT INTO IT AND HAVE 18 MONTHS FROM TAKING THE 1ST EXAM TO COMPLETE THE WHOLE DL COURSE, THE TIME THEY SUGGEST IS ONLY MINIMUM SO IF YOU WANT YOU CAN COMPLETE THE COURSE IN 6 MONTHS OR LESS. ITS WHATEVER YOU PUT INTO IT AND HOW QUICK YOU WANT TO COMPLETE IT BY COMPLETING THE PROGRESS TESTS AFTER GAINING AS MUCH KNOWLEDGE ON EACH SUBJECT.

REGARDS

[mb2ai]

Thanks for your reply, if I may be so bold to ask, where are/did you completing yours?

Were does this 660 hour philosophy fit into this then? So if I was a proper geek(!) and I've been studying the subjects for a while now....(Assuming Ive got my ppl)....Could I then enroll on a DL course and do the brush up courses at take the exams asap? All with oats?

[bluenose81huskys]

The answer to your question is yes if doing by DL course as long as you are registered with an approved ATPL organisation, i.e Bristol GS or CATS, OATS, Glasgow Aeronautical college etc etc and providing that you pass their own progress tests on each subject then they can recommend you for the exams. So if you know you learn your stuff then you could complete the whole course in 4 months in theory.
A modular student can elect to study for the 14 JAA ATPL examinations rather than the 9 CPL alternatives. To achieve this you must undertake at least 650 hours of Theoretical Knowledge study either in the classroom or via distance learning prior to undertaking their ATPL examinations.
The licence issued upon graduation will be the CPL with the ATPL privileges frozen until such time as an Instrument Rating (IR) is obtained and the necessary experience requirements satisfied.