jakenash

[Captain_Bob]

Hey Jake,

You sent me a PM and asked me to respond... but you currently are not accepting PM's and you don't have an e-mail listed in your profile... so... we'll do it this way.
[ QUOTE ]
From: jakenash

Hey there,
Just a quick question. After completing the ACPP at ATP, do you have to go to JAX if you become an instructor? If so, for how long and is it worth taking your family down, or going by yourself? Thanks so much!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ] Yes... you do have to spend time at the corporate office in JAX. They need to give you some basic training on ATP history, programs, office policies and procedures, etc... In addition to that you will have a check-out with a Chief Pilot before you are officially allowed to go instruct at any location.

As far as time goes... It can be 1 week... to several months depending on the need for instructors at the location you desire and your seniority. You list your top 3 location preferences when hired. If there is no location immediately available for you, then you basically become a paid intern until one does come open. You answer phones, file, copy, set up new hire packets, etc... You also get unlimited use of the Level 5 Seminole FTD to stay current.

My story... I was hired Nov. 1st of 2003. I spent 6 weeks in JAX, (actually only 4 if you count the week off for Christmas and Thanksgiving). My preferences were listed as 1. DFW 2. DFW 3. Anywhere. I would have rather flown than spend time in the office waiting my specific location to open up.

As the cards were delt... I was assigned to PHX. You don't have to take a location if you don't want to... you can simply stay in the office and wait for you location to open... but why would you want to do that vs. fly??? That being said... I've seen guys spend 4+ months in the office waiting for their 1st preference to open up. Crazy! They missed out on up to 400 hours of flight time just sitting in the office... I couldn't understand why they would do that? The way I looked at it... if you're going to be away from home anyway... why not fly?

Anyway, once you are in the field, you still can be relocated if you want. I spent about 5 weeks teaching in PHX when a slot opened in DFW! I spent the remainder of my career at ATP at the DFW location until I was hired by XJT in October '04.

I kept my family in Dallas. In my opinion it would be too much of a pain to move them around the country like that.

Hope that helps!

Take care,

Bob

[Derek_S]

Well I'm glad you answered that question publicly, because that is some good piece of advice and I am seriously considering to attend ATP's 90 day program and instruct there.

[buffalopilot]

Question regarding airlines and commuting. For the first year when you are on reserve, can you commute or do you need to live where you are based.

[Heath]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey Jake,

You sent me a PM and asked me to respond... but you currently are not accepting PM's and you don't have an e-mail listed in your profile... so... we'll do it this way.
[ QUOTE ]
From: jakenash

Hey there,
Just a quick question. After completing the ACPP at ATP, do you have to go to JAX if you become an instructor? If so, for how long and is it worth taking your family down, or going by yourself? Thanks so much!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ] Yes... you do have to spend time at the corporate office in JAX. They need to give you some basic training on ATP history, programs, office policies and procedures, etc... In addition to that you will have a check-out with a Chief Pilot before you are officially allowed to go instruct at any location.

As far as time goes... It can be 1 week... to several months depending on the need for instructors at the location you desire and your seniority. You list your top 3 location preferences when hired. If there is no location immediately available for you, then you basically become a paid intern until one does come open. You answer phones, file, copy, set up new hire packets, etc... You also get unlimited use of the Level 5 Seminole FTD to stay current.

My story... I was hired Nov. 1st of 2003. I spent 6 weeks in JAX, (actually only 4 if you count the week off for Christmas and Thanksgiving). My preferences were listed as 1. DFW 2. DFW 3. Anywhere. I would have rather flown than spend time in the office waiting my specific location to open up.

As the cards were delt... I was assigned to PHX. You don't have to take a location if you don't want to... you can simply stay in the office and wait for you location to open... but why would you want to do that vs. fly??? That being said... I've seen guys spend 4+ months in the office waiting for their 1st preference to open up. Crazy! They missed out on up to 400 hours of flight time just sitting in the office... I couldn't understand why they would do that? The way I looked at it... if you're going to be away from home anyway... why not fly?

Anyway, once you are in the field, you still can be relocated if you want. I spent about 5 weeks teaching in PHX when a slot opened in DFW! I spent the remainder of my career at ATP at the DFW location until I was hired by XJT in October '04.

I kept my family in Dallas. In my opinion it would be too much of a pain to move them around the country like that.

Hope that helps!

Take care,

Bob

[/ QUOTE ]

Got the same question from the same person and the same result trying to reply.

What Capt Bob said!

Thanks, by the way Bob, for continuing to be a resource to current and potential ATPers.

Heath

[stuckingfk]

Does anyone know what the wait list usually looks like for Las Vegas?

[BobDDuck]

Short to none last I looked.

[stuckingfk]

[ QUOTE ]
Short to none last I looked.

[/ QUOTE ]

Has ATP been hiring other than their Career Pilot Grads? I did their total CFI program last summer in Las Vegas and would love to get back there.

[BobDDuck]

Not really. If you could be a two year CFI they would take an active look at you. However, the two year spot in Vegas is pretty well covered. Now, I know that instructors are leaving (all locations) at a pretty good rate due to the RJ program. I'm not sure if enough Career Pilots are coming out of the program and expressing an interest in instructing with ATP to keep up with the demand. Also, if more people start going the Direct Track program then the number of graduating ACP students going on to instruct will continue to decrease. All that said, they may start more activly looking at people who have only completed CFI training here. Just speculation on my part.

Ethan

[freq_flier]

Hey thanks all for your response, I was getting worried because I got a read receipt but no response, I was thinking "dang those jerks didn't respond!!!!!" Thanks for your quick response and I have fixed my PM problem.

[TaterSalad]

Yeah, I'd say they're starting to hurt for instructors. Jim K called me a couple weeks ago, asking if I was still interested in instructing for them, and I hadn't even updated my resume with them in 5 months. Too bad I'm all settled in, new year-long lease that I had just signed, and with a decent instructing job already, or I'd be there in a heartbeat. I even had a temporary living situation setup for about 5 months, waiting on them to call back..........about the time I'd finally given up and settled, they call. Go figure. Anyways, I was a 90 day program grad. Word on the street is, they will at least entertain the idea of hiring a grad of their CFI program.

[EatSleepFly]

[ QUOTE ]
Question regarding airlines and commuting. For the first year when you are on reserve, can you commute or do you need to live where you are based.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can commute, but most airlines will say it's not recommended when you are on probation (the first year), so do it at your own risk.

Signed,

Someone who found out the hard way.