BCFT
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Joined: Apr 2016
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From: Ocean
BCFT
Dear fellow Ppruner's,
Any of you could provide a recent feedback of BCFT ? especially in comparison with other Bournemouth players...
It seems that many students start their ATPL with them and then leave for the flying part...
can't find any reason for such a move if the school sill holds its reputation..prices maybe ?
Any of you could provide a recent feedback of BCFT ? especially in comparison with other Bournemouth players...
It seems that many students start their ATPL with them and then leave for the flying part...
can't find any reason for such a move if the school sill holds its reputation..prices maybe ?
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 42
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From: Aberdeen, Scotland
I completed my training with BCFT (CPL and ME/IR) a few years ago after my original flying school (Cabair) went into administration, but thats another story. I had heard good things about BCFT and I wasn't disappointed. I started my training shortly after a change in management which seemed to be for the better in my experience.
I have heard a mixture of reviews about them recently, some good and some not so good, which I think is the case for a lot of schools, but I have heard a few stories recently about preferences given to Integrated students over modular students, but I can't say as this was the case when I was there however.
I would say don't be taken in by promises of a job from particularly one of the Bournemouth schools, I know a lot of students who have been there and its very much 50/50 with the ones who get a job as a pilot straight out of training and ones who didn't. One person I know who trained at said school, spent two years as Cabin crew with Easyjet before getting a F/O job with Ryanair (the same job as a lot of the guys I trained with at BCFT) but then others who walked straight into pilot jobs.
I apologise my experiences aren't desperately recent, but hopefully they'll help.
I have heard a mixture of reviews about them recently, some good and some not so good, which I think is the case for a lot of schools, but I have heard a few stories recently about preferences given to Integrated students over modular students, but I can't say as this was the case when I was there however.
I would say don't be taken in by promises of a job from particularly one of the Bournemouth schools, I know a lot of students who have been there and its very much 50/50 with the ones who get a job as a pilot straight out of training and ones who didn't. One person I know who trained at said school, spent two years as Cabin crew with Easyjet before getting a F/O job with Ryanair (the same job as a lot of the guys I trained with at BCFT) but then others who walked straight into pilot jobs.
I apologise my experiences aren't desperately recent, but hopefully they'll help.
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 495
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From: On the side of the pitch!
I trained there quite a long time ago (9/10 yrs). Was a good place to fly out of, lots of people left after the ATPLs because of the gossip of first time pass rates, which to be honest is more down to the individual rather than the standard of training, which was pretty good in those days, may I add. Anyway, I'm now a short haul captain at the 'world's favourite airline', so it can't have been that bad!
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 17
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From: uk
Most schools have there ups and downs. There is no preference given to integrated students over modular students at any of the schools I know who provide both types of training. It is simply a different way of training.
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 50
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From: EGHH
Anyone care to share their review of very recent (i.e. within the past year or so) or current experiences with BCFT? Thinking of finishing off my PPL there in Spring or even doing my CPL/IR (modular) there in a couple year's time.
I am ever so puzzled as I have always heard extremely mixed reviews regarding BCFT, but these are from ex-students who would have trained there several years ago now and an awful lot appears to have changed with the school since.
I am ever so puzzled as I have always heard extremely mixed reviews regarding BCFT, but these are from ex-students who would have trained there several years ago now and an awful lot appears to have changed with the school since.
Last edited by JumboJet1999; 19th January 2018 at 13:42. Reason: wording
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 565
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From: N/A
I would highly recommend BCFT for just the ‘middle stage’ of your training.
That of CPL/MEIR.
I wouldn’t do the ‘early stages’ of PPL, and hour building with them.
Nor would I do the ground school.
The ‘later stage’ of MCC/JOC has to be done elsewhere.
But BCFT is an excellent ‘middle stage’ finishing school.
That of CPL/MEIR.
I wouldn’t do the ‘early stages’ of PPL, and hour building with them.
Nor would I do the ground school.
The ‘later stage’ of MCC/JOC has to be done elsewhere.
But BCFT is an excellent ‘middle stage’ finishing school.
Last edited by button push ignored; 20th January 2018 at 01:16.
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 565
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From: N/A
I was rather shocked by their first time pass rates.
Secondly I don’t see the point of paying for their lodging, when you can do it all from home with an I-pad.
I think any motivated self starter can lock themselves in a closet for a few months to save £6000.
This is harder to do if you don’t already have a FAA instrument rating.
Which is why I recommend a FAA PPL and an instrument rating and 175 hours if your not going to a classroom ATPL ground school.
Secondly I don’t see the point of paying for their lodging, when you can do it all from home with an I-pad.
I think any motivated self starter can lock themselves in a closet for a few months to save £6000.
This is harder to do if you don’t already have a FAA instrument rating.
Which is why I recommend a FAA PPL and an instrument rating and 175 hours if your not going to a classroom ATPL ground school.
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 6
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From: Singapore
That’s interesting, where do you check pass rates?
I hold FAA CPL/IR/ME with 900 hrs TT, so the subjects are not completely new to me, and I’m considering self-study as well. I just see full-tome course as an opportunity to improve my far-from-perfect English in native-speaking environment. But I didn’t check their lodging rates so far, that’s true.
I hold FAA CPL/IR/ME with 900 hrs TT, so the subjects are not completely new to me, and I’m considering self-study as well. I just see full-tome course as an opportunity to improve my far-from-perfect English in native-speaking environment. But I didn’t check their lodging rates so far, that’s true.
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 565
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From: N/A
The first time pass rate came from Sandra in the office.
Ask the right questions from her, and you get an honest answer.
The cost of residence last time I checked wa £12 a day.
Which may not sound much, but when you add it up over six months it is.
Which made me rethink the whole classroom ground school idea
With an FAA Comm/Inst/Multi and 900 hours, you should be able to self study if you have self motivation.
What I don’t understand is how people who have never flown an aircraft and are on an intergrated corse, can possibly pass. But they do.
Ask the right questions from her, and you get an honest answer.
The cost of residence last time I checked wa £12 a day.
Which may not sound much, but when you add it up over six months it is.
Which made me rethink the whole classroom ground school idea
With an FAA Comm/Inst/Multi and 900 hours, you should be able to self study if you have self motivation.
What I don’t understand is how people who have never flown an aircraft and are on an intergrated corse, can possibly pass. But they do.
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 565
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From: N/A
My handle is ‘button push ignored’, it’s both what my heavy Airbus says when I type too fast, and what I do when I press people’s buttons.
But I’ll reply to the last part first, as it’s the most interesting.
The USA in the early 1980s, commuter companies existed, but not commuter airlines.
They began in the early to mid 80s with aircraft like Banderanti, Jetstreams, Beech 99, Metroliner, Shorts 330. These were flown by both high and low time pilots. There was very little flow through as the country was climbing out of a deep recession.
By the mid 1980s the country was in full blown growth mode. The commuter airlines were growing rapidly as possible, as planes grew from 15 seaters to include planes like Shorts 360, Saab 340, Brazilias, Bae 146, Beech 1900, Dash 7, Dash 8. Most airlines kept the smaller planes for less experienced crews.
By the late 1980s the situation almost got out of hand as companies grew so fast, that they either popped, were purchased, or went bankrupt. There were so many opportunities that if you didn’t get ahead you only had yourself to blame. Pilots with 250 hours were flying 50 seaters in some very high density airspace.
And then the recession of the early 1990s slowed things down. But the turbo-props of the 80s, gave way to the Jet age with the advent of the Canadair Regional Jet. That short lived recession soon became a steady growth period, where 350 hour pilots could get regional jet jobs. Somewhere along the way the commuter airlines became regional airlines as the major airlines swooped them up.
Things remained pretty much unchanged until the turn of the century.
But then the 50 seater jets again began to grow. The FAA knew that they didn’t want 350 hour wonder kids flying 75-100 passengers jets that were on the drawing board. If the major airlines didn’t want to take them on, then they had to act. And the Coglan crash of a Dash 8 was the catalyst for change. The press tried to blame the low time co-pilot. But the facts says she had 2300 hours. But the fix was in, and to fly an airline transport category aircraft, you had to have an airline transport license.
There are plenty of starter jobs available flying multi crew aircraft for low time pilots in the Pt 135 operations. These are the old commuter airlines planes of the mid 80s, mainly flying cargo. But the FAA doesn’t want the fare paying public subject to inexperienced crews in Pt 121 operations.
Now the university programs screamed blue murder at the thought of losing their main selling point. So they negoaited a lower 1000 hour restricted ATP, like the big U.K schools designated it a (f)ATPL.
For ex-military pilots the restricted ATP was set at 750 hours.
Now if 750 hours for ex-military, or 1000 hours for ex-university and 1500 for everybody else sounds unreasonable. Then I’ll take issue with you, that this is exactly the system that the EASA needs to adopt. Not the other way around.
As a very senior captain at a worldwide airline, I for one object to the whole notion of 250 hour pilots being anywhere near the controls of a large jet. Fortunately we don’t hire any, so it’s not my problem. But a problem it is. But pointing the finger at the US, implying that they are somehow inferior to the hand selected products the U.K. produces is nieve and pompous.
But I’ll reply to the last part first, as it’s the most interesting.
The USA in the early 1980s, commuter companies existed, but not commuter airlines.
They began in the early to mid 80s with aircraft like Banderanti, Jetstreams, Beech 99, Metroliner, Shorts 330. These were flown by both high and low time pilots. There was very little flow through as the country was climbing out of a deep recession.
By the mid 1980s the country was in full blown growth mode. The commuter airlines were growing rapidly as possible, as planes grew from 15 seaters to include planes like Shorts 360, Saab 340, Brazilias, Bae 146, Beech 1900, Dash 7, Dash 8. Most airlines kept the smaller planes for less experienced crews.
By the late 1980s the situation almost got out of hand as companies grew so fast, that they either popped, were purchased, or went bankrupt. There were so many opportunities that if you didn’t get ahead you only had yourself to blame. Pilots with 250 hours were flying 50 seaters in some very high density airspace.
And then the recession of the early 1990s slowed things down. But the turbo-props of the 80s, gave way to the Jet age with the advent of the Canadair Regional Jet. That short lived recession soon became a steady growth period, where 350 hour pilots could get regional jet jobs. Somewhere along the way the commuter airlines became regional airlines as the major airlines swooped them up.
Things remained pretty much unchanged until the turn of the century.
But then the 50 seater jets again began to grow. The FAA knew that they didn’t want 350 hour wonder kids flying 75-100 passengers jets that were on the drawing board. If the major airlines didn’t want to take them on, then they had to act. And the Coglan crash of a Dash 8 was the catalyst for change. The press tried to blame the low time co-pilot. But the facts says she had 2300 hours. But the fix was in, and to fly an airline transport category aircraft, you had to have an airline transport license.
There are plenty of starter jobs available flying multi crew aircraft for low time pilots in the Pt 135 operations. These are the old commuter airlines planes of the mid 80s, mainly flying cargo. But the FAA doesn’t want the fare paying public subject to inexperienced crews in Pt 121 operations.
Now the university programs screamed blue murder at the thought of losing their main selling point. So they negoaited a lower 1000 hour restricted ATP, like the big U.K schools designated it a (f)ATPL.
For ex-military pilots the restricted ATP was set at 750 hours.
Now if 750 hours for ex-military, or 1000 hours for ex-university and 1500 for everybody else sounds unreasonable. Then I’ll take issue with you, that this is exactly the system that the EASA needs to adopt. Not the other way around.
As a very senior captain at a worldwide airline, I for one object to the whole notion of 250 hour pilots being anywhere near the controls of a large jet. Fortunately we don’t hire any, so it’s not my problem. But a problem it is. But pointing the finger at the US, implying that they are somehow inferior to the hand selected products the U.K. produces is nieve and pompous.
Last edited by button push ignored; 22nd January 2018 at 13:44.
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 4,330
Likes: 74
From: White Waltham, Prestwick & Calgary
I just love the way Europeans sneer at the FAA system when they could actually learn a thing or two, especially when it comes to check rides and grillings on your actual knowledge
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: London
As a very senior captain at a worldwide airline, I for one object to the whole notion of 250 hour pilots being anywhere near the controls of a large jet. Fortunately we don’t hire any, so it’s not my problem. But a problem it is. But pointing the finger at the US, implying that they are somehow inferior to the hand selected products the U.K. produces is nieve and pompous.
Last edited by Gazza88; 22nd January 2018 at 05:24. Reason: Edit
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 565
Likes: 0
From: N/A
What exactly are your goals. You must have crystal clarity, don’t be wish-washy or vague in your reply. The number one thing is to define the mission.
It would help to know where do you live. Oh, and how much money do you have too. Not that it’s any of my business, but you can say skint, working poor, middle of the road, daddies loaded etc.
There is an different answer for every catagory.
It’s easier to work any problem back from the destination to the origin.
If you do an intergrated program with BCFT they send you to FIT in Florida.
FIT is one of, if not the finest schools on the world. But it’s not cheap.
If you just wanted to be a very good PPL for company flying, then this would be where I’d go. But if you just wanted to do recreational flying. I’d go somewhere cheaper.
If a professional pilot is your goal, then you could do a lot worse than BCFT.
It would help to know where do you live. Oh, and how much money do you have too. Not that it’s any of my business, but you can say skint, working poor, middle of the road, daddies loaded etc.
There is an different answer for every catagory.
It’s easier to work any problem back from the destination to the origin.
If you do an intergrated program with BCFT they send you to FIT in Florida.
FIT is one of, if not the finest schools on the world. But it’s not cheap.
If you just wanted to be a very good PPL for company flying, then this would be where I’d go. But if you just wanted to do recreational flying. I’d go somewhere cheaper.
If a professional pilot is your goal, then you could do a lot worse than BCFT.