Bristol.gs or ProPilot

[ATIS31]

Hi All
Hoping to start ATPLs soon and was planning Bristol because of reviews
and their feedback from people. However I visited the Propilot stand at the flight training show and was quite impressed with their system on the Ipad. Also notice that theirs is split into 3 modules compaired to Bristols 2 modules. I think 3 modules would be better as i don't have to try and remember so much and it would mean less time off work for brush ups, though I could get 3 weeks off work if need be. I know Bristol is good I im looking for feedback from people who have used Propilot how is the support and brushup courses ?
Also whats it like to read all the course off the Ipad, do they have good animations and videos like Bristol ?

Thanks for any Info

[blagger]

With propilot at the minute. Brilliant notes, great support from staff and a really good set up at Coventry for ground school. They are brilliant at integrating real life pilot lecturers / knowledge into ethe course as well. To be fair, I've never heard anything that bad about Bristol either but I would heartily recommend propilot. Propilot brush up courses are very flexible as many are weekend based as well.

[pudoc]

I went to Bristol and will tell you they are first class. Instructors are amazing and the atmosphere down there is great. Professional instructing with some humour chucked in to get through those dull subjects.

I believe the guy who wrote the Bristol books also wrote the ProPilot books for the iPad, or something like that. So either way you're getting the same good quality from the books.

The 3 phase is good and I was looking for a 3 phase school too, but I managed to get a great average and first time passes from my first module with BGS, still yet to finish mod 2.

Heard good things from ProPilot too, they're exam results are brilliant. However, I think the school is relatively new and whilst the instructors are experienced I personally would go for the more established school.

[muzzy24]

i couldn't recomend Bristol highly enough. I passed all 14 first time in just the 2 sittings with an average in the 90s. i really didnt think i could achieve this as i was never a high flyer academically. but the combination of hard work, quality of the books and the computer software and of course the brush up courses made it possible to achieve.

Bristol is a tried and tested way of not just getting passes in your ATPL exams but to ace them!

[ATIS31]

Thanks Guys for all your replys. Difficult Choice to make

[Graham@IDC]

Go visit them both!

[Dan the weegie]

Flip a coin, you wont spend your money badly either way. I did Bristol and it worked well for me, the 2 modules seemed daunting but in truth it's quite easily achievable.

If you put the effort in.

[pudoc]

If the iPad thing was going to swing you to ProPilot, Bristol are releasing their iPad program next month.

So it literally is pick what ever is closest to you.

[Pete Saunders]

I'd personally, based on my experience, go with BGS. Having said that one only does ATPL G/S once (most people anyway!) so where ever one goes one could only pass comment or experience on that school. Don't know of anybody that has been to two schools for the full 14!

In my view BGS were great.

Good luck.

[Gear Up Landing]

Bristol were Ace!

[Midlife Flyer]

I did my ground school distance learning with Bristol GS. Was convinced I would flunk at least Meteorology, if not more, however Alex and his team there pulled me through with all first time passes and a high 90's average.

The self study part I completed fully on the computer and their brush up courses really focus you ready for the exams. Just look out for Baz and his big wiz wheel in class ;o)

[mglepd]

Hi ATIS31,
I've bought the materials from all 3 CATS, Bristol and Propilot over past couple of years. I was not not impressed with CATS. Bristol are the standard. But overall I think Propilot is the best of the lot, partly because it has been written from scratch and partly because it doesn't assume prior knowledge

[redout]

In regards to the iPad offerings, the propilot just seems to be ebooks downloaded thru iTunes whereas the Bristol version seems to be a completely interactive offering with videos, animations etc. similar to their ATPL digital programme for PCs and Mac.

[WhiskyTangoFoxtrott]

@redout: ProPilot do indeed have ebooks that one downloads through iTunes. But I believe these are enhanced with multimedia content that is downloaded when you're registered onto one of ProPilot's courses.

[pudoc]

I believe Bristol's iPad version also has their new question bank built into it as well. Not ATP Online, but something new.

[Lightning Mate]

..... and it would mean less time off work for brush ups....

Based upon the minimum percentage of in-house time after a distance learning course, it is actually more.

[Alex Whittingham]

No, he's right I think. We do two 2 week courses, twenty days, about 140 hours in the classroom. From memory propilot only do twelve days, say 85 hours. I take your point about the minimum classroom time which is 65 hours, but the time we spend is nothing to do with the module structure, it's because we don't think we can adequately cover the material in less time.

[Jacqui Suren]

Yes, Alex and Lightning Mate are correct in that ProPilot has a minimum of 12 classroom days over the three modules, with some at the weekend. However you can drop in to study/ask questions any time and there are many non compulsory classroom days, such as intro days and pilot development days which involve industry professionals and applied learning in a simulator and in a B737/ATP on the apron.
I think Alex would agree in suggesting that you visit us both, BGS will suit some and ProPilot will suit others.

[redout]

@WhiskyTangoFoxtrott: That is good to know because from studying for the ATPLs years ago animations/videos etc would have been of great help. Some things just need to be seen and cant be learned from a book.