ATPLs Training - New Information

[Spidermann]

I know there is some information on pprune already that I can read about training but I am thinking it may be better to get new information on things with a new thread.

I have my private licence, issued in USA, and I want now to start my ATPLs training in UK and then flying training for multi-engine commercial licence and instrument rating.

I need to make decision for ATPLs training school and am thinking Bristol, Propilot or Cats. I must do distance learning for work between UK and Germany so full time classroom is not good for me.

I am hearing many stories at work and at flying club and on social media and from friends, some good and some not so good about every school.

What is the opinion of anyone who has been to these schools very recently or any others? I think any information from more than a year old is maybe a little useless, unless it describes good and bad changes at a school.

[byrondaf]

I recently completed the CATS distance learning course, passed last 3 ATPL's in April 2014. Here is my summary:

Material: Thorough, if you are good at learning from books then you will have no problem. Would possibly suggest supplementing a couple subjects with the oxford cd roms, for me I got the ones for Meteorology and GNAV, helped enormously.

Ground School: Great for distance learning, 3 x 1 week brush ups, really just spent doing exam papers and going over things you are unsure of. Would advise making sure exam ready before attending. Instructors were good and they sometimes bring guest instructors for particular subjects.

Overall: Great for what I needed, very much DIY course, but if you have the aptitude, you should have no problem. If you need spoon feeding, then do a full time course. I got 92% as an average, so it's possible to do well with them.

I would also get a year subscription to Bristol Question Bank no matter who you go through. A LOT of questions from there came up in the exams. Ops procedures was almost like going through the question bank.

[Snakedoc]

I'm also having the same issue as yourself, choosing which of these companies to do the distance course with. I'm swaying towards Bristol at this particular point, but I'm hoping to hear more replies from people who have chosen some of these schools first

[weedman1990]

I went for Bristol. You can't go wrong with them. Most of the good schools like CTC use the Bristol question bank which is very very good and is always up to date with feedback from past students who did the exams.