CATS vs BGS vs ProPilot - ATPL
 

Hello,

I have been doing some digging and reading around some old threads and will of course visit the above providers to make an informed choice. The threads are not as recent hence another posting.

I haven't decided yet if I am going to go down the ATPL route (yet!) but am thinking out loud and due to the glorious British Weather thought it would be wise at this time of the year to cultivate a plan and possibly crack on with ATPL Theory.

I was hoping that the Centre for Civil Aviation at London Metropolitan University was still around but that is defunct as of July 2012.

So I need to find a ATPL Provider...

I prefer to be London based but this might be a challenge unless doing Distance Learning which could take up to 12 Months to complete. I prefer to be immersed full time in the ATPL's as I learn better that way, however work commitments may get in the way... so will need to also consider flexibility as I work away in 2-4 week blocks in Europe from time to time.

Out of CATS, BGS and ProPilot... or other?

I am interested in hearing of any "Current Experiences" of Students who may have used one of the providers over the past 3 months and also how good the material provided is, level of instruction etc.

Obviously a lot depends on "independent study" and "what you put in is what you get out".

My local flying school uses material by ProPilot..so could be a convenient option but the material is taught by the instructors at the School and not ProPilot Instructors. Not sure if this makes a difference or if I have it wrong.. so don't hold me to that!

Pro Pilot
 

Ex Pro pilot ATPL distant learner checking in...hope scouring the following threads help you with your reasoning:

http://www.pprune.org/professional-p...-learning.html

http://www.pprune.org/professional-p...-learning.html

I am currently using CATS and have been since April this year.

Although I cannot comment on the quality of their ground school instructors (as I haven't been to a ground school week yet or had any questions - but I've heard it's very good) the quality of the content is great and easy to learn.

They let you get on with at your own pace with basic direction of what to study what week, how long it should take you to do each subject etc. Beyond all the material, they have things like key facts which you can go through for each subject and of course, practice questions and progress tests.

The main reason I went for CATS and not a provider like BGS was because of spreading the exams out over 3 sittings rather than 2. Due to work I am unable to take 3 weeks of work off at a time but CATS allows you to do them more spread out and personally that works better for me (plus Luton is down the road for me)

I have however, bought the BGS question bank as it's one of the best and acquired the Oxford CBT for harder subjects such as Met, GNav to help.

I know a few people who have used BGS and haven't got a bad word about it, so I guess really it's down to personal preference. Think about which structure works best for you, if the location has a input as well. I paid I think about £1300 for CATS for all modules including ground school weeks before exams, plus £140 for question bank and I think BGS is around £2100?

Let me know if you have any more questions about CATS from a student view, happy to answer any.

Thanks.

I will certainly give you a shout for more info.

Cannot speak any higher of BGS!

I'm by no means a whizz, but I put in the work and I have just passed Module 1 with a 96% average.

These days it doesn't really matter which one of the ones listed you go to they are all proffessional excellent products.


Look more about which one fitts in cheaper with your situation.

For example in my day i had a choice and the reason i choose oxford was there was a direct flight into lhr and an easy bus to get there for ground school and the big picture including all the hotac and transport was cheaper than BGS.

Most only have experence of one supplier and the one they say to use will be that one.

So i am saying do a spread sheet for each one including transport and accom for you and use that one. The training product is high for all of them.

Great advice Mad Jock.

Thank You. I don't really know anything different so just wondered if there is much difference between the "product" and "instruction" rather than anything else.

Cost of course is a premium factor to consider. I am London based so will need to consider Cost, Accommodation etc for any of the products and referesher courses.

Thanks.

They are all pro teaching establishments. All will get you through. Realistically nobody will have experenced more than one of them. So nobody can tell you if one is better than the other.

As you have seen all have got pro reviews in this thread.

Go for the cheapest big picture that fits with your circumstances.

Actually I did my training with CATS but then taught at a school using BGS materials so I can comment a little on both.

That said, what mad_jock says about the schools is true. You get out what you put in; they're all good, so the deciding factor should be cost and convenience for you.

As a contribution to the big picture, one thing to consider is how long the consolidation time is and whether the local B & Bs take any prisoners or not :)

Plus 1 for BGS. Excellent study material, reasonable B&Bs for consolidation and as much support as you need for DL.

Paco also runs a good outfit- definitely worth a look as an alternative to all the above mentioned. Good luck.

If he is in london he can just go home then go to gatwick for the exams.

Its what i did as a flight home and then back was cheaper than bnb for 10 days.

Gatwick also tends to always have free slots where as the other centers can run out and the likes of oxford book months in advance so as a distance learner you have no chance of getting a place there so more than likely have to position to gatwick anyway.

I have been looking at the website of the providers above and whilst the process, material etc looks the same, the one that sticks out (and this is purely an observation) is ProPilot due to the so called "Advanced Learning Techniques".. The practical application of the theory studied in relation to various Airbus and Boeing Simulators they have on site.

This may just be a "gimmick" though and as a DL I am not sure it will be available to anyone outside of the full time residential course.

Taken from the ProPilot Website:

Not much difference in cost between all providers. Will put a call in and make an informed decision.

All those flash toys are well and good, but if you can't recall the info in the exam hall, then it'll be for nowt.

I used a provider that sadly doesn't exist, the hubby used BGS and he said that it was the best theory provider he'd ever experienced. Given he used to teach ATPL subjects in Australia plus had done a few type ratings as well, he knew what he was talking about.

But it is personal preference and what best suits you. :ok:

Couldn't agree more... ! BGS are £60 cheaper too for DL.. :O Have to watch the pennies!

I have never heard a bad word about BGS or any of the providers so to speak but know of a Groundschool Instructor who teaches or teached (not sure if he is still there) and couldn't fault it.

Onwards and Upwards!

"All those flash toys are well and good, but if you can't recall the info in the exam hall, then it'll be for nowt."

Using the hardware helps consolidate the information, which is what we use our humble sim for (it's only a 206, but you can start turbine engines on it). I can stand there all day in the classroom wittering on about EFIS, but 2 hours on flight sim using the stuff is worth more than that.

Our other sim is an Me 109, but that's another story :)

CATS ATPL Distance Learning
 

Hey all, I know this thread has been quiet for some time now, but as someone who has just started ATPL training I thought I'd chip in with some up to date stuff.

As I live in Luton it seemed plain silly to use another company for ATPL's so took the decision to start with CATS. The course material in book form is really easy to read especially after a long day at work, and the CPT flows nicely from page to page in harmony with the books. Everyone has their own way of learning, mine is to read....reread....rewrite and reread. Confusing right? Anyway it works for me.

Having friends who are currently on BGS and Propilot we have come to an agreement that they are all much like one another, some providing more "gloss" than others.

If you want any info or help, please feel free to ask

Regards
DJTheDan

I will start my ATPL distance learning 1 week of next month and I am planning to do with CTC Pro pilot .

Just want to say I searched a lot for good ATPL ground school and top 2 according to me is CTC & BGS.

The reason I am going with CTC pro pilot is because its the closest one from my place. BGS is also good and £150 expensive then CTC, but I would say just look which one is closest to your place as it will save travelling time.

Good Luck :ok::ok: