Bristol Groundschool Formalises 100% Online Training Option

Bristol Groundschool (BGS) has made some big changes to the delivery of its ATPL courses in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

At the start of the coronavirus lockdown almost all ATPL schools switched to some form of online ground school delivery. Few people realise, though, that only the distance learning providers will be able to continue with full online delivery as the crisis abates. “It’s a curiosity of the regulations” said Alex Whittingham of Bristol Groundschool, “what EASA call video-conferencing is specifically classed as ‘classroom tuition’ for only distance learning courses. It means the full course can be completed remotely”.

Bristol Groundschool have added to their traditional computer-based training (CBT) software a complete suite of webinars across all the subjects. “We run four or five webinars a week” said Alex, “but we also have recordings of webinars in all topics and in all the subjects, with a library of over 200.”

The live webinars which are approximately 90 minutes in length, count towards the required classroom time and the recordings are an asset that can be viewed time and time again alongside the rest of the computer-based training suite.

Alex Whittingham is clear where this is going. “What was acceptable in an emergency in March will no longer be acceptable by September. We now have a video suite set up to deliver the webinars from our offices. On top of the webinars we offer online revision courses and the aim is, when classes return, that we will be able to create professional quality live videos of the instructors teaching in the classroom so that our customers can choose whether they want to attend classes or not.”