JAR-IR distance learning courses?

[Contacttower]

I know of CATS at Cranfield, GTS at Bournemouth and Atlantic at Coventry but are there any other others who offer specific distance ground training for the JAA IR (not ATPL)? Any in the North/Scotland?

[24Carrot]

I have been researching this recently and I think I am plumping for CATS, as they have just the one day brush up course.

I found the list at p6 of:
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/srg_lts_Approved%20Training%20Orgs_Doc%2031v101.pdf

It looks like you have listed all the approved schools.

[IO540]

From my enquiries a while ago, GTS also did what looks like a 1-day classroom thing, at about £1000, comprising of two modules (no idea why two modules), and then you go to Gatwick to sit the 7 IR exams.

I wonder how the total costs pan out, if one doesn't pass all 7 in one go (i.e. over two days). An efficient strategy is to sit all 7 following a bit of question bank swatting, and then revise properly for those which one failed. In the IR conversion context, there is no way one is going to fail the lot. But revising heavily for all 7 is quite a memory feat.

[nigelisom]

No direct comment on the IR exams but I have recently done the cpl ones.
If you learn the stuff the exams are easy.
GTS are excellent at what they do - teach you what you need to know, at your own pace and the brush ups are real good value (I estimate an extra 10-15% on what you would have scored without them).
The included qb also proved to be very accurate.
Nigel

[Cusco]

Although the 'C' in CATS stands for Cranfield, they have moved now to Luton...................

[421C]

I wonder how the total costs pan out, if one doesn't pass all 7 in one go (i.e. over two days). I don't think the school/course costs change at all, they are fixed. You do pay a CAA fee of about £50 per exam paper you sit though.


An efficient strategy is to sit all 7 following a bit of question bank swatting, and then revise properly for those which one failed. In the IR conversion context, there is no way one is going to fail the lot. But revising heavily for all 7 is quite a memory feat.
You don't really need to go to Gatwick and pay £50 to see whether you are going to pass or not - the online question banks and tests available are a pretty good predictor. I agree the revision is quite dependent on short-term memory. In this context, I think it's probably more "efficient" to split the exams into a couple of sittings. The problem with doing all seven in one go is that, for example, you swot intensely the weekend before and find on the Sunday night you are having to reswot things you forgot since the Saturday morning. OTOH, it is nice to get it over with in one go!

[XXPLOD]

I'm doing the ATPLs with CATS. Feel free to message me for info about the school.
For the IR I would recommend for most people doing the work distance learning and working at the same time, 2 sitting would be sensible. Take 3 or 4 then the remainder a couple of months later.

[IO540]

How long (max) between the last exam pass and the latest date for passing the IR checkride?

[S-Works]

As I recall 18 months or it might be 18 months between first and last pass then 3 years.

[24Carrot]

LASORS doesn't seem to be very consistent or clear, but it looks like bose-x is right: the 18 months applies to something exam-related, then it's 3 years, though that only appears as a footnote to some ATPL stuff.

LASORS E1.3 IR(A) THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE
EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS
The course of theoretical knowledge instruction shall be completed within 18 months. The acceptance period of these examinations towards the issuance of the IR(A) can be found in Section J1.7.

LASORS J1.5 JAR-FCL THEORETICAL
KNOWLEDGE EXAMINATION
PASS STANDARDS
A candidate must complete all required written examination
papers within 18 months of their first sitting, using a
maximum of 6 sittings and no more than 4 attempts at an
individual paper within the 6 sittings...

LASORS J1.7
J1.7 JAR-FCL THEORETICAL
KNOWLEDGE EXAMINATION
ACCEPTANCE PERIOD
... ATPL stuff ...
* All requirements for the issue of the CPL and IR must be met and the applicant required to apply to PLD for issue within the 36 month validity period of the theoretical knowledge examination.

[IO540]

Since you obviously need a pass in ALL the exams, the last line above tends to suggest that the 3 years is from the first exam pass, to the IR checkride.

[421C]

The previous para says

A pass in the ATPL theory examinations will be accepted
for the issue of a CPL or IR during the 36 months from
the end of the month of the date of the final pass in the
examinations*.

I think the same applies to the CPL and IR exams, ie. the 36months starts from the final exam pass month.