What's the best ATP location?

[alloyicon]

I'm planning to start the ATP 90 day Airline Career Pilot Program sometime this Spring/Summer. I am closest to the RAL/Riverside location. I was thinking that this location makes the most since as I can always make the 1 hour drive home if I have time to spare away from my studies. How does RAL compare to say, the Long Beach or Phoenix locations?

[PilotChip]

I'm interested in the LGB location too. I live near LA.

[v1valarob]

RAL 100%. Do a search under these forums for my name. I have responded to this question too many times.

-Rob

[CFII2008]

Has anyone worked as a CFI @ SAC? Are they all multi there? How busy are they?

[Fly_Unity]

PHX = better then RAL , been at both for a while, RAL is to serious, apartments to far, old planes,

PHX: volley ball to ease your torn down brain, new planes, knowlegable Cheif pilot, nice airport, harder DE's (wait is that a good thing?)

[v1valarob]

Originally Posted by Fly_Unity

PHX = better then RAL , been at both for a while, RAL is to serious, apartments to far, old planes,

PHX: volley ball to ease your torn down brain, new planes, knowlegable Cheif pilot, nice airport, harder DE's (wait is that a good thing?)

Too Serious?!?!?!?!? Are you kidding me?

Older planes... pshhh who cares.

You guys are the ones that have a DE who grounds at least 1 plane before a checkride, and then if your the 2nd checkride that day, your going to bust.

-Rob

[Fly_Unity]

lol, I hated when dispatch would send us to RAL, once they gave us a plane with no heat, sent us to SAC, and both of us was in our sleeping bags up to our necks freezing away, trying to keep the plane trimmed out and fly with our knees cause the instant we took our hands out of the sleeping bag it would turn numb.

we learned when coming to RAL, to land, fuel up and leave, cause if not, an ATP instructor would be trying to steal our plane. (it happened more then once),
once landed there at 1AM and all the instructors were partying for some reason (Halloween I think), but they wouldn't tell dispatch, I kept calling Mike up, waking him up asking when my ride was going to get here, he would call another instructor and yell at them to pick me up (who also happened to be partying), finally Mike told me where the key was, and to sleep inside the school, I went inside and found a phonebook and called a cab after waiting outside in the freezing cold for 2 hours, couldn't find a key to the apartment, waited another hour for that. ahh I miss them days

oh,, and Im one of the "selected" to not ever bust a checkride in PHX, so it can be done :P, just higher standards then when using your own examiner

Originally Posted by v1valarob

Too Serious?!?!?!?!? Are you kidding me?

Older planes... pshhh who cares.

You guys are the ones that have a DE who grounds at least 1 plane before a checkride, and then if your the 2nd checkride that day, your going to bust.

-Rob

[alloyicon]

Originally Posted by Fly_Unity

lol, I hated when dispatch would send us to RAL, once they gave us a plane with no heat, sent us to SAC, and both of us was in our sleeping bags up to our necks freezing away, trying to keep the plane trimmed out and fly with our knees cause the instant we took our hands out of the sleeping bag it would turn numb.

Ha... You must have mad flying skills. I'm Just curious if you have any in flight pictures of you guys flying around in your sleeping bags?

[Teller1900]

PHX all the way! The airport is GREAT (it's probably my second favorite of all the airports I've been to), they have all new planes for training, two sims (frasca and elite) so you can almost always get into one or the other, no matter the hour. The apartments aren't too far from the airport to be inconvenience, but far enough that you can leave your work and enjoy the pool or the sand volleyball court and just relax. The DEs are tough, but if you get Larry Tiffin or Darin Clarkson, you'll be fine. If you're unlucky enough to get the guy who's name escapes me (the grumpy schmuck who fails guys a lot), just fly the plane for all you're worth and you'll do fine. I had him for my CAME checkride and, despite him making me feel like total crap at the end of the ride, I passed on the first try. I'd recommend ATP PHX every time.

[SIUav8er]

Originally Posted by Fly_Unity

we learned when coming to RAL, to land, fuel up and leave, cause if not, an ATP instructor would be trying to steal our plane. (it happened more then once),
once landed there at 1AM and all the instructors were partying for some reason (Halloween I think), but they wouldn't tell dispatch, I kept calling Mike up, waking him up asking when my ride was going to get here, he would call another instructor and yell at them to pick me up (who also happened to be partying), finally Mike told me where the key was, and to sleep inside the school, I went inside and found a phonebook and called a cab after waiting outside in the freezing cold for 2 hours, couldn't find a key to the apartment, waited another hour for that. ahh I miss them days

I love it when the students think that the instructors at ATP are there to give them rides home from the airport at 0100. Give me a break! Youre a big boy, get a freaking cab. Hell they even reimburse you for it. Dont call and cry to dispatch that theres no one there take you home. Sure, youll probably get lucky to hitch a ride most of the time, but dont count on it. None of ATPs brochures mention that CFIs give free transportation to students.

(I responded to this cause I was one of the "intoxicated" CFIs that Mike was calling and bitching at that night, i mean morning... lol)

[SIUav8er]

Originally Posted by v1valarob

RAL 100%. Do a search under these forums for my name. I have responded to this question too many times.

-Rob

+1

[Fly_Unity]

Originally Posted by SIUav8er

I love it when the students think that the instructors at ATP are there to give them rides home from the airport at 0100. Give me a break! Youre a big boy, get a freaking cab. Hell they even reimburse you for it. Dont call and cry to dispatch that theres no one there take you home. Sure, youll probably get lucky to hitch a ride most of the time, but dont count on it. None of ATPs brochures mention that CFIs give free transportation to students.

(I responded to this cause I was one of the "intoxicated" CFIs that Mike was calling and bitching at that night, i mean morning... lol)

Mike specifically said not to get a cab cause then I would have no way to get a key to the apartments, I even asked if I could walk to the motel across the street, and he gave me a strong "NO"

Lazy Instructors!!

this was almost 2 years ago, so I dont think you were there yet

[JRBlueSkys]

Since we are talking about best locations. What is it like at Arlington? Im doing my ppl and acpp there starting april.

I asked Eric if i could take my harley there he said i could i will be leaving it during the day and using my truck most of the time (except for weekends)so i kinda wanted to know what are the apartments like ? Are the grounds secure?
I guess another big question and i probally should start a new thread is What is the format like for the classes and training? is it 8am to 4pm every day 5 days a week? Do i have training on the weekends? The reason i ask is will i even have time to Ride my harley there?


Thanks

John

[v1valarob]

Originally Posted by Fly_Unity

Mike specifically said not to get a cab cause then I would have no way to get a key to the apartments, I even asked if I could walk to the motel across the street, and he gave me a strong "NO"

Lazy Instructors!!

this was almost 2 years ago, so I dont think you were there yet

Mike is retarted. When I was in JAX he made my XC partner and I spend a combined $75 on cabs in 1 day, and then about $60 a day for the next 2 days. I asked if we could get a rental car instead and he said no. Well I had friends in Florida that I wanted to visit, so I rented a car on my own from the FBO next to ATP. Guess how much it cost me? Something like $40-50 a day total.

Ill agree that if your going on a XC to RAL, its not the most enjoyable experience. Any hotel they put you in is going to suck because the area around the airport is not so good, and the apartments are REALLY far away from the airport. Plus we would all be so protective of our apartments that whenever someone would show up, we would tell them there wasnt room. Partly because we made up our own apartment arrangements, and ATP Jacksonville didnt know which apartment was full and which wasnt.

-Rob

[SIUav8er]

Originally Posted by Fly_Unity

this was almost 2 years ago, so I dont think you were there yet

Yeah, Its funny that this same thing happened Halloween last year too. haha

[Godzgreatgift]

Will be attending the ATP JAX facility in April for the 90day ACPP. How is the ATP JAX facility? Can anyone shed some light on the JAX facility esp it being the headquarters for ATP.

[v1valarob]

Originally Posted by Godzgreatgift

Will be attending the ATP JAX facility in April for the 90day ACPP. How is the ATP JAX facility? Can anyone shed some light on the JAX facility esp it being the headquarters for ATP.

Its a very serious location. Dont grow a big head because you think being from JAX means your one up on everyone else, lots of people seem to get that attitude. Funny part is, most people who pass through JAX think that its a horrible location and dont want to be there any longer than they have to. This is in respect to the actual school. The Jacksonville area is pretty decent.

-Rob

[ftyflyboy]

BWG is the best

[Godzgreatgift]

Originally Posted by v1valarob

Its a very serious location. Dont grow a big head because you think being from JAX means your one up on everyone else, lots of people seem to get that attitude. Funny part is, most people who pass through JAX think that its a horrible location and dont want to be there any longer than they have to. This is in respect to the actual school. The Jacksonville area is pretty decent.

-Rob

The only reason I will put down a deposit to start at JAX because everything I need is there. Starting off with the 90day careers program (which other locations have also) but my point being I won't have to move from location to location when it comes to CFI school and the RJ course. Anyone can give me their opinion? Is that a good way to base your decision on which location to attend? I'm open to any location in the East Coast. Anyone can also share from past experience which 90 DAY East Coast Location is regarded the best?

[v1valarob]

Originally Posted by Godzgreatgift

The only reason I will put down a deposit to start at JAX because everything I need is there. Starting off with the 90day careers program (which other locations have also) but my point being I won't have to move from location to location when it comes to CFI school and the RJ course. Anyone can give me their opinion? Is that a good way to base your decision on which location to attend? I'm open to any location in the East Coast. Anyone can also share from past experience which 90 DAY East Coast Location is regarded the best?

Eh, Im glad I got to move around.

I did the 90 day in Riverside. My CFI was in Las Vegas. They either pay for a plane ticket to CFI school + a rental for 3 or 4 people together, or they pay for your gas. I opted for gas. They put us up in a hotel and casino for 2 weeks, and then moved us into the ATP apartments for a few days. So ATP pays for all your travel and board. If you had to actually pay for all that out of pocket, then I could see why. But I enjoyed going to different locations for different things.

Same as if your Richmond based on the east coast. CFI school is either in JAX, ATL or DAB ( I think ) and they pay for your travel down and they pay for your board.

-Rob

[Godzgreatgift]

Oh I see how it works. I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the info on that! Well, does anyone here know or have any inputs on what location in the east coast might be the best? In terms of availability of aircraft and management and so forth?