my app got accepted

[Stomp16]

Originally Posted by JOEFRIDAY2

After you have your ratings you can get your multi add on and airline transition course at ATP if you want to go the career route.

FAIL.

All your points were good up until paying for a transition course. Please, don't waste money on those.

[Socal321]

There is nothing wrong with ATP, operations wise. Instead of flying 90 days out 365 part time at an FBO, ATP just actually does it in 90 days and they provide everything except the food. In fact it's actually better than the FBO because from day one all you are doing is living and breathing aviation. Plus you are not alone, there's others with you in the process. Virtually all of your training is multi and they give you the responsibility of flying x country for 2 to 3 weeks coast to coast. No Fbo is going to allow you to go coast to coast as a wet ppl/inst pilot. You learn a lot and more importantly you gain a lot of confidence. The CFI academy is where most of the people washout and where ATP gets the most flak. That's just a completely different subject, no matter how much you pay they are not going to make a teacher out of you in 14 days, even if you just got done flying for 90 days straight. Anyways, but the actual ppl to comm stage is completely fine. HOWEVER, the only issue with ATP is that you just don't need it right now, nobody is hiring. You could probably save 10K by going to the FBO.

[matt152]

My experience has been that most students in an FBO live in a vacuum. They talk with their instructor, but are not exposed to other ideas. And the motivation to get the rating is not as much as the ATP student.

Because of the eat-and-breathe aviation 24/7 at ATP, there is more exposure to different ideas and time to talk about stuff with other students and instructors. Certainly you can get this experience at an FBO, but most students at an FBO check in, preflight the plane, do the flight, postflight with their instructor, and then leave.

[ADIZFlyboy]

the xc portion of atp's 90 day program is pretty cool and was in opinion, the best part of the program. you do gain a ton of confidence. i have heard of them doing programs for people now where they come in, do the 302/303 ride and go on a time building spree for however much time they need at some pre-arranged amount. however, you could potentially recreate this experience at an fbo and have more freedom in terms of where you go and general logistics. my fbo in particular will let you go wherever as long as you have an instrument ticket and many fbo's (skymates for one in gky) that have specific time-building programs. in terms of living in a vacuum at an fbo, i'd consider atp one of the biggest vacuums out there as far as aviation goes. things are pretty much taught the same way and most instructors/admins there generally have the same concepts on the industry. not a good or bad thing but just what i experienced. i'd say i've experienced more different ideas and practices at my local fbo than at my time at atp. if you are planning on going into flight training in full force, just spend a little more time at the fbo and you'll catch plenty of ideas-not to mention the occasional blocks of free flight time :-)

[yoman793]

i love the posts in the ATP section of the forum. non stop flaming of any and all things ATP.

that being said....... train at FBO??? save 20k???

[ryanmickG]

Originally Posted by Socal321

No Fbo is going to allow you to go coast to coast as a wet ppl/inst pilot.

Wrong! There are plenty that will.

Not Bashing ATP, just correcting your statement.

[yoman793]

come on over to tallahassee! my part 61 school has no problem with me flying to california and back in one of the schools planes. in fact, they told me that was an awesome idea and to take a ton of pictures.

[Kestrel452]

Originally Posted by schuh

My app got accepted for going to ATP. My parents cosigned for me. What interest rates are you guys getting? I got one at 13.8%. So terrible. Not taking that one. Still waiting on the others.

Also where did you choose to get the loan through??

Thanks any help would be great

RUN LIKE HELL AWAY FROM ANY FAST-TRACK FLIGHT PROGRAM!!!

[surreal1221]

Or do it. . .I don't care anymore.

It's your finances and career. If you got 80k in debt just to be an airline pilot, more power to ya.

But don't come crying for help or sympathy after enough of us told you otherwise and tried to save you from falling into a black hole of disaster.

[GlenA]

they will get you your ratings. there won't be anything special, no quick route to the airlines and the crj course is worthless. There will also be some holes in your training but you can fill these in later (like many of us had to) though that is not a good thing. i have been a product of both FBO's and ATP. You can have holes in your knowledge to from an FBO, I just don't want you to think ATP is some sort of perfect school. I had a good time at ATP though, but just take it for face value: you will get your ratings faster and get a lot of multi-time. That is it. The instructors for the most part will only know what they learned at ATP and nothing else since most (not all) won't have any other flight or life experience. That's where FBO's usually shine, they will have people from all walks of life and all types of aviation backgrounds.

Why did I go to ATP? well, because while i was in the military it took me 2 years to finally get my PPL and I didn't feel like taking 2 years per rating. So when I got out I had some choices: get another career so I can finish my ratings on the side, then change careers again, try to get a loan to finish quickly at an FBO and live off of the loan in a rented place while trying to finish my ratings, or go to ATP where they had that sort program already available (and it was easier to get a loan for at the time) . So I just went in to get my ratings quicker. So do your research, I hope ATP wasn't the first and only place you looked.

[surreal1221]

Originally Posted by GlenA

Why did I go to ATP? well, because while i was in the military it took me 2 years to finally get my PPL and I didn't feel like taking 2 years per rating. So when I got out I had some choices: get another career so I can finish my ratings on the side, then change careers again, try to get a loan to finish quickly at an FBO and live off of the loan in a rented place while trying to finish my ratings, or go to ATP where they had that sort program already available (and it was easier to get a loan for at the time) . So I just went in to get my ratings quicker. So do your research, I hope ATP wasn't the first and only place you looked.

You had another option. Utilize your GI Bill.

[GlenA]

still had to get the loan...again, it was harder to do that outside of an established program. And I would rather save my GI Bill for something like my Masters. Yes, I thought it through.

[LoadMasterC141]

Yeah you get alot more out of your GI Bill from college. Smart thinking.

[surreal1221]

Originally Posted by GlenA

still had to get the loan...again, it was harder to do that outside of an established program. And I would rather save my GI Bill for something like my Masters. Yes, I thought it through.

Very well. I still took out a loan, but it was for a far lower number by using my GI Bill. I just didn't attend ATP

Oh, and my GI Bill has paid for my undergrad and will pay for a portion of my graduate work as well.

Anyway - whatever. Good luck.

[schuh]

Not going to ATP anymore. My uncle is letting me use his Warrior for training.. If the numbers are right it will be under 20000$

[esa17]

Originally Posted by schuh

Not going to ATP anymore. My uncle is letting me use his Warrior for training.. If the numbers are right it will be under 20000$

Buy into your uncles plane. Owning the airplane changes the way you fly. Suddenly it's your wallet on the line so your landings get better quicker and you don't ride the dang breaks.

I've experienced it for myself and seen it probably 50 times as an instructor.

[schuh]

I dont think i want to do that. I just have to pay for the gas when im using it.

[GlenA]

Originally Posted by schuh

Not going to ATP anymore. My uncle is letting me use his Warrior for training.. If the numbers are right it will be under 20000$

And that, is the BEST option!

[bunghole]

Originally Posted by schuh

Not going to ATP anymore. My uncle is letting me use his Warrior for training.. If the numbers are right it will be under 20000$

Great choice! ATP lost another one!

[Dynasty22]

I dig the new ATP video.

[esa17]

In the company of one of those featured "instructors" you get an interesting answer in regards to the compass:

"Who uses that?"

[CRJDriver]

Originally Posted by Dynasty22

I dig the new ATP video.

I thought I was watching one of those Sylvan Learning Center or ITT-Tech Commercials, but with airplanes.

[SkyFlier33]

Everyone here keeps saying training at a local FBO would be cheaper than ATP.. Well I ended up spending 15K at my FBO, not even came close to getting the Private, and switching to ATP now
1st, ATP's rates are pretty good if you break down the cost of the APCC program by the number of hours you get. Especially for the ME time: it's 250/hr at the FBO's in North Jersey where I live! Imagine taking a twin for a couple of coast-to-coast x-countries? There goes your 30K..
Second, most FBO's would charge you for ground time with an instructor. Again, I used to pay 50 bucks for an hour with my instructor, and he would charge like .2 hours of ground extra for every flight (time he spent on walking to and from the airplane) ((
ANother thing, if you "take your time" and stretch your flight training as long as 1-2 years, it's gonna take you much more flight hours to finish up your ratings just because the less often you fly the more you have to revise during each flight..
Anyway, there were a couple of guys at my FBO who went to ATP and all of them off the record recommended ditching the school and doing the ATP gig.
Just my 2 cents.

[esa17]

Shenanigans!

[nuball5]

I personally enjoyed my experience at ATP. Whether you go the ATP or FBO route it's all about what instructor you're working with and the training environment.

SkyFlier33. If you're looking to go to ATP, but want to stay close to home I recommend the Trenton location. I just came back from there.