BUCKINGHAMSHIRE UNI FLYING TRAINING

[T's & P's]

Both myself, EGLD and hobbit are first year students on the BCUC course - just in florida right now trying to round off our PPL's despite the weather. There were a couple of problems with finances initially (which i'll detail below) and as a result a couple of people were grounded for a few days (including me) didnt really bother me that much as thanks to the storms i wouldnt have been flying anyway! Needless to say after a short chat to the administrator about what was fair and what was not everything got sorted.

Extra charges included the following:

• PPL Course - AKA ground school (completed our exams so unnecessary) - $300
• RT Practical - $195 (quoted in the brochure as $95)
• Airport Transfer - $70 (should have been $10 since the cab fare was split)
• Charts - $35
• 10 extra days accom - $35 per day
• Fuel surcharge - $12 per hour
• Visa Processing fee - $200
• Medical - $100
• Insurance indemnity(just insurance basically) - $200 (i think)

There may be a couple i've missed. The only charges that were deducted (i.e. Because we'd been unnecessarily charged) were the PPL course, the difference on the RT and the difference on the airport transfer.

Anyway, its all sorted now, i really am enjoying the course - you'll meet plenty of great people, the instructors here are top notch and the service (despite a couple of hiccups) is good. I/we may moan every now and then but we're students, it's what we do! Good luck to everyone in florida on your skills test (weather permitting of course)

[IwannaBflying]

does any one know if we take our check ride in the USA (for ppl this is!) and get a FAA licence, then on return to the UK get a transfer thing to JAA licence?

just wondering! thanks

[LeeH88]

I am looking into this for September, emailled John Furley, seemed like a nice bloke, planning on enrolling for September, hopefully! I will see some of you there.

[TCX-G-FCLA-B757-200]

Newbie, so go easy on me!!

Hi all, my name is Nick and I have applied for the Air Transport and commerical pilot training course at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College.

Can anyone tell me just how hard the aptitude test is, as you need to pass this to get onto the course and what it includes, I realise it will include Maths and Physics, but at what level??
Because lets just say Physics is something I don't find easy!!
And also will the tests include anything else and are they multiple choice??

A bit worried about these tests, as this will be the only thing I will struggle with.

Medical is fine, UCAS points have already been met and have already had plenty of flying lessons, just the entry aptitude test, think I best buy some degree Physics books!! Lol!! Is it really that hard?? Other tests should be okay.

Also I am from Birmingham, so will need to stay in their halls of residence.
Is anyone else here starting this September and staying in the halls of residence??

Also does anyone know what High Wycombe town is like?? I am a bit of a party animal!! Hopefully lots of bars, come in handy on a Friday and Saturday night!! Work hard and play hard, you can't go wrong.

Be greatful to hear off anyone who is hoping to join this course, this September, or anyone at all for any replies. PM me or send me a message here, cheers.

Come on TCX-G-FCLA, just love her, hehe.

Cheers everyone, Nick.

[LeeH88]

You can do a practice Cab Air test, someone posted it above. I found them fairly easy and Ive never been any good at physics but obviously everyone is different. I plan on staying in the halls providing I attend ( still working on that). As for High Wycombe Town, I dont have a clue sorry.

[TCX-G-FCLA-B757-200]

Cheers. Yeah think I better sort this accommodation out, otherwise it will be me in a tent every night, lol!!

Yeah just had a look at them Physics and maths tests, there was eight questions on the Physics one. Was okay, but aint saying much!!

From what I have heard High Wycombe is supposed to be nice, but there is always London, which is about 45 minutes away, certainly won't be short on attractions there, hehe.

Thanks for that LeeH88.

Cheers, Nick.......G-FCLA.............

[rich poole]

What halls are people looking at?

And all i know about high wycombe is that its built at the bottom of a valley so a nice hard walk up it in the morning to get to our campus. Or cheet and get the bus!

[TCX-G-FCLA-B757-200]

To be honest I am just sorting it out now, just finished my College course last week and now trying to sort out and finalise this Uni course, if I get onto it.
I think the T & T courses are based at Wellsbourne Campus, so I guess there, unless no places left, then it could be at one of the other two campuses, who knows.

Should be a lovely walk in the morning. Certainly wake you up. Or we could cheat even more and order a taxi!! hehe.

G-FCLA...............Nick, Cheers all.

[LeeH88]

I've decided against the Bucks course. 45k air training fees, plus living fees and tuition fees will most probably mount to more than a zero to atpl integrated course would cost.

[rsr3]

Originally Posted by rich poole

What halls are people looking at?
And all i know about high wycombe is that its built at the bottom of a valley so a nice hard wk up it in the morning to get to our campus. Or cheet and get the bus!

That's all good character building stuff!!

[hobbit1983]

Can anyone tell me just how hard the aptitude test is, as you need to pass this to get onto the course and what it includes, I realise it will include Maths and Physics, but at what level??
Because lets just say Physics is something I don't find easy!!
And also will the tests include anything else and are they multiple choice??

The aptitude test isn't *really* hard, but you will need to study for it. Do a search - the same questions have been answered before. In short, you need to be able to do mental maths (time/speed/distance qs are quite popular). I would have said the level was somewhere between GCSE & A-Level overall. The tests were not multiple choice when I took them. The hardest part was the console testing i.e. the spatial awareness tests etc on a computer.

Also does anyone know what High Wycombe town is like?? I am a bit of a party animal!! Hopefully lots of bars, come in handy on a Friday and Saturday night!! Work hard and play hard, you can't go wrong.

High Wycombe is OK - having spent a lot of time slighty less than sober in Bath & Southampton city centres as well as HW, I can safely say it's not on the same level, but there are still places to go. The Hobgoblin, Antelope & Toad all spring to mind (but bear in mind my year got there first - you might find student pilots have a rep already!) as good nights out, in addition to the SU. I would not recommend "Pure" or "Obesession" or whatever it's called these days, but the Litten Tree is good for drunken cheesy clubbing (The others are pubs).
If you want to continue the freshly established traditions (habits?) of the course, then at least one of you, a ginger if possible, should at some point either run naked through the town centre, or run over two cars at once, or both (No it wasn't me!).
I really wouldn't recommend the hill! There's a bus service from halls most mornings, and besides we found it much easier and cheaper to share a taxi (only works out at about a quid or less each).

does any one know if we take our check ride in the USA (for ppl this is!) and get a FAA licence, then on return to the UK get a transfer thing to JAA licence?

You do your check ride in the US - they have JAA examiners at OFT.
Please feel free to ask any other qs or PM.

[Shamrock274]

University Route

Does anyone know if enroling on a Uni course that includes pilot training might be a cheaper/better/doesnt make any difference, way of getting you pilots licence??

www.bcuc.ac.uk/main.asp?page=129

www.cabair.com/kingston/index.htm

Thanks

[TCX-G-FCLA-B757-200]

Originally Posted by LeeH88

I've decided against the Bucks course. 45k air training fees, plus living fees and tuition fees will most probably mount to more than a zero to atpl integrated course would cost.

That was another question I meant to ask. How much approx, for the three years if successful does the course cost all in??
Is it really £45k or more or less?? Or...

Because as someone has mentioned it prob will be cheaper to do an integrated course, or an airline pilot programme.

Cheers, G-FCLA!! Nick.

[LeeH88]

You pay:
£3000/year for tuition fees.
£45,000 for flying training with CabAir
A few extra charges as mentionned above by someone
Living costs.

£45000 + £9000 is £54k. Plus living costs of say £15000, thats nearly 70 thousand pounds. Integrated/airline course may be better.

[TCX-G-FCLA-B757-200]

Thanks for that, I knew it was not cheap, just like any aviation course, etc, but that does seem rather high, compared to others I have been looking at.

Beginning to think it would be cheaper to do an app or fo programme or integrated course, when comparing the prices last night and finding out how much this course costs now.

Cheers, G-FCLA...... Nick.

[rich poole]

Hi, I can see this turning into another big debate but the way in which I see it is you can complete an Intergrated course from anything up from 60K but you don't have the back up of the degree that this course offers.

Its a thought?!

[TCX-G-FCLA-B757-200]

It sure is a thought. That's why I applied to this in the first place, but at the moment I am keeping my options open, applioed for this, but not sure if I will get onto this yet.

Also been looking at Stapleford flight training, just outside London and European flight training- the Airline pilot programme, been in contact with them also, plus others. But think I need to find out what negatives there are with this course, there is always some!! But think I will open another topic, for this one, as can't seem to find this mentioned anywhere else. So I will put that in another post.

Cheers, Nick, G-FCLA.

[rich poole]

Sure, Have you read the blogg that i posted the link to somewhere at the start of this thread. hobbit1983 set it up and he talks about the course in full. Very informative, yes there are a few lows and teething problems as there are in everything, but as the course is only in its second year i would say its not doing to badly.

[TCX-G-FCLA-B757-200]

Yeah great, thanks for that, much appreciated. While this topic seems alive!! I think I will ask another question, what is thae age range like on the course, is everyone the same age, or is there a mixture, e.g. 18,19, 20, 21, 22, older, etc.

Just wondered, as I am only just 18 and would be nice if I was not the baby of the group!! And how big are the classes??

Sorry for so many questions, lol.

Cheers all, Nick, G-FCLA, yeah, hehe.

[rich poole]

hi, im only 19 did 3 years at college but i know that there will be a couple 18 year olds, a few 20s? its hard to tell but there will be a spread. And last year i think that there was only 30 lqast year? (don't quote me)