Questions about ATP

[Phil_Eagle]

I'm currently enrolled at ERAU's AS Degree to start in Fall 05.

After browsing through Jet Careers I decided to persue a business major at ERAU.
My primary goal is still to become an airline pilot though, so i chose ATP because I'll end up with practically every rating i can get.

Now my question is whether i can start the program when i start college. (Since the prerequisites state i need a degree).

Please let me hear some advice about how I should start with ATP and college and share your experiences. Thanks a lot.

Phil

[greezergriff7]

Are you going to do the 10-month program at ATP?

[Phil_Eagle]

If I decide to go to ATP, then self paced so I can do it while i go to college.

[Captain_Bob]

Phil,

They will accept you even though you would just be starting college... However, my advice to you would be... if you are going to attend ATP... then do it during the summer and do the 90 day program...

Couple of reasons why...

- Would allow you to concentrate on your studies at school without being sidetracked.
- Would allow you to concentrate on your studies while flying without being distracted.
- 90 day program get's free housing... so no worries where your going to live for the summer.
- 90 days and your done... then you can start flight instructing part-time and build time on the side while in college...

Just a few suggestions... for what it's worth...

Bob

[Phil_Eagle]

hey I was thinking about exactly that, the problem is just that I dont have any flight experience, so I'd also have to do their 60 day PPL.
Or i might just do the PPL part during the school year, then the 90 day commercial during the summer.

[cybourg12]

Get your private done during school and do the 90 day program during the summer like Captain Bob said. I reccomend the DFW location.

[Captain_Bob]

DFW's a good reccomendation there Cybourg!

Phil,

Just to clarify... you will not have the time to do the 60 day PPL and go to school full-time. So... if you are going to do the 60 day PPL then do it like the summer before college starts. Then you can fly whenever you want to stay current during school... then do the 90 day between your Freshman & Sophomore year.

Bob

[Phil_Eagle]

Wont have enough time unfortunatly. I'll be an international student. (From Germany).

So I like what i see at the ATP website, although I've heard from people that its such a fast program it just makes you qualified for the checkrides and not really educate you as a pilot. Like the CFI courses dont really emphasize teaching the subject but simply being able to fly the plane from the right seat.

Furthermore I've heard that after you get your CFI ratings from ATP it's difficult finding a job since the lack of cessna experience. Is any of this true?

Phil

[Captain_Bob]

All of it...

and...

None of it...

Phil,

It is a fast program... No question there... but it is an "Immersion" program. You eat, breathe, sleep aviation for 90 days. What you learn from it... is entirely up to you.

They make you qualified for checkrides... and that alone means that you will be educated as a pilot. No DE or FAA examiner would pass you if it were otherwise. Since there is a lot of self study then how much MORE educated you become above and beyond the government FAA regulated PTS standards is up to you and your instructor.

The CFI course builds on what you know... or should know, by the time you reach that level. Anyone on here who's attended Walt's CFI class in JAX would definately tell you that you will have no choice but to learn from it! In all reality more time is spent in the classroom and study groups than is spent on your flying skills from the right seat during the CFI portion. I'd say it's like 90% Classroom and study vs. 10% Flying.

At the end of the program you are actually very current in the cessna since the SE COM and CFI SE add-on's are the last rides you do. How you do in an interview with a flight school depends on you and your willingness to adapt to whatever type of flying they do, and your level of preparation for that interview. That being said... I do believe it's true that flight schools and FBO's do like to hire "Their Own". People who have went through their program. However, since so many Regionals are gobbling up instructors these days, that seems to be a floating policy. ATP/Pan-Am/DCA/ARI, etc... are no different when it comes to that hiring situation as well.

Most of the guys and gals who chose not to apply to ATP have successfully applied to FBO's where SE teaching is primary. The added benefit to your ratings is that once you have that FBO's Insurance Min's in the bag then you usually start right off doing Multi-Instruction (if they have multi's). Timbuff10, ryanmickG, CapnJim, Flugmaschine, and Junior here on JC are some examples of that... feel free to IM them for more info.

You've probably heard this many times before... but ATP is not for everyone, and your situation and personal analysis of the situation may dictate that you train elsewhere. Regardless of where you train, continue to ask the hard questions, and by all means don't forget to call the FBO's and flight schools and talk to them in person to help in the evaluation. It helps to have a consistant set of questions that you can ask each of them and then you can more easily compare schools.

Good luck to you!

Bob

[Phil_Eagle]

I'll think this through, thanks alot for your thought about this.