Bristol GS

[johnc21]

Hi all

I have been looking at the Bristol GS website from the point of view of distance learning ATPL studies.

I like what I see on the website.I was wondering has anyone used bristol for either distance learning or full time residential course and if you can offer me some more details regarding the CD software they provide with the course and the quality of the manuals.I know bristol are very well established but I would like some personal opinions.

Also I would like to ask the people who took the long distance option and worked through it, how was it for you, would you have taken a full time course on reflection and general observations on doing the DL option.

Thank you in advance for your replies

John

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

BGS has a long established good name and in all the years of moderating this website I've never heard a bad word said about them by a customer. Which wouldn't be the case with some of their competition.

And if Alex W could get me through my Perf A in a weekend then he can teach anything to anyone.

WWW

[mierda]

Hi
I used Bristol distance learning for my ATPLS, at the time distance learning was the only option for me cause I could not afford to take the time of work, plus I got to save some money.
It was a really good course, the books and softw. are fantastic.
It was a great decision got it all done just under a year. It was bloody hard work though and a lot of dicipline required, I even had to sack my girl friend in the end.
But distance learning does not work for everyone, just bear that in mind.
Anyway hope it helped, any more questions just ask

[Anonymus6]

Johnc21,

I started bristol in 3rd of June 2008, and finished module 1 last week. Bristol is doing a hell of a good job. I tried the JAA conversion with another JAA school for 3 years ago in Florida (no names here) and gave up the hope for JAA. Tried again one more time with bristol and then it clicked. Greate Instructors at bristol as well. Go for it!!!!!!!!!

[janrein]

Johnc,

The combination of Books and CD worked well for me. The CD giving an order of subjects and chapters so that you are somewhat taking a number of subjects in parallel. I would then read the current subject/chapter in the books, write all my comments, questions, cross-references there until at least all-read, as far as possible all-understood, then went over the same by speed-reading from the CD (sometimes some minor differences, possibly the CD was one edition more up-to-date, also the CD has more detailed information on a number of topics), then the quizz questions that you have to get 100% (do them as often as you need), at the end of every 3 or 4 chapters from a subject do the progress test that you must pass at 75% and send-in to BGS. Wrong-answered questions are explained by the CD. On failed PT's I always did another PT first before revisiting the failed PT.

Note, those books of BGS are used over half or more of Europe, same contents, just stuck in the binders of the particular school overseas.

In the revision courses the subjects are presented and explained in a very professional way, both knowledge-wise and teaching-wise. Even the dullest subject was presented in a very digestable, often even in a most enjoyable way. But make no mistake, you will have to work damned hard in those classes and in your B&B in the evenings and weekend and even then you cannot finish all the material they throw at you, you have to make some selection. Work until you get the percentages high enough, with a number of subjects work until principally you can finish in the nominal time.

It is generally recommended to take the exams immediately after the revision courses. That's what I did and that worked out fine.

Hope this helps

p.s. If not clear from the above, I did that as distance learning, did the home-study full-time, before going to those revision courses. A full-time on-site course would not be my choice, but that's just a personnal preference.

[Benzie]

i am currently studying with bristol and have just finished mod 1 (just waiting for results now) i cant praise them enough. the materials they provide are first class, the instructors are out of this world and the 2 week brush up course was fantastic. i considered a few different schools but i am so glad that i decided on bristol. any questions send me a message and ill try to answer them for you. next stop mod 2.

[profot]

I bought the BGS ATPL books a while before I gave up work and shelved them. I then went to a well known ground school and found the notes appalling. I dug out the Bristol books and by reading through them in detail a couple hours a night i achieved high 90 passes in all 14 subjects and trust me Im no academic!

In my opinion if you sign up properly with them and have their support as well you really could not do better.

Good luck

[SenecaGirl]

Im just wondering is if you guys are thinking of doing and in some cases are doing BGS with no licences held already? Or is it a conversion? If it is a conversion why do you want to convert your livences from FAA...TC...or whatever it may be...

[Whirlygig]

SenecaGirl, looking at the locations of some of the posters I would reckon that they are looking at using BGS for JAA licences from the premise that they already hold an ICAO PPL.

Bristol only do distance learning for modular training so a PPL is a minimum requirement in order to enrol.

There could be many reasons why someone would want to convert from, say, FAA to JAA but mostly it's to do with which countries you have the right to work in! Some people may go to the States to do FAA licences and then convert to their own county's licence as they perceive i tot to be cheaper; others may need to convert due to personal circumstances taking them to another country.

Cheers

Whirls