from my experience they rush you into a check ride without a lot of knowledge. From friends at 121's they all tell me ATP guys seem to lack basic knowledge. one couldn't read weather and another story about unable to understand how to pick up clearances and cancel flight plans at non towered airports. All basic private pilot information.
ATP vs. Local Flight School
- Thread starter Corey Rourke
- Start date
starman2112
Well-Known Member
I think it all depends on your instructor, i had some really good instructors and a few not so good instructors and learned a lot of valuable information, that being said i wasn't on the "fast track" and had a ton of one on one time with all my instructors. Some CFI's are good and some bad, some students are good and some aren't.
z987k
Well-Known Member
No kidding, where it's here's a new airplane and all the books. Be ready for your oral tomorrow, checkride the next day.
If you can't learn by firehose you're going to have a hell of a time in this industry.
This. Yeah, I wish I could have gotten ahead with my ratings sooner, but training, training, training all the time sucks. I got so burned out during instrument training because it got to the point where I was hammering the same things into my head over and over and never flying for fun anymore. I can't imagine having to do it for every single rating. Time building for the commercial has been a blast. I've taken the woman to dinner, flown around with friends to roam around in random towns in FBO courtesy cars, done a lot of sightseeing, etc. It's kind of fun looking at the logbook and remembering all the fun stuff on specific flights rather than seeing entires and knowing it was just another boring training flight.
ScorpionStinger
Well-Known Member
As for ATP CFI's..... Well, I'll never forget this 1.
Before I ran out of money for my Commercial ticket.... I was taking lesson at an FBO that hired an ATP CFI...
It took me 4 lessons & a Night 100nm X-country to realize I was doing a better job teaching myself... He was DEAD SERIOUS when he told me he "hates instructing," and "only wanted to build hours for the airlines."
Dude just sat there and shot da Shytttt... As if it was a "paired cross X-country flight." Not giving instructions or tips whatsoever. He even said "let me fly a little, U can relax, your doing great, I have the controls." (NO instruction, no answer to my questions, no tips... NOTHING) To avoid issues or argument, I let him fly a bit. It was all on my dime ($55 x 2.3) Smh.
I spoke to the boss that I wasn't learning anything, and was literally teaching myself and paying that CFI for nothing.
Before that CFI, I heard and read bad rumors about ATP CFI's... I decided not to stereotype, and I gave him a shot... But that guy proved all the Bad Rumors to be true IMHO... I still think it's true. Substandard CFI's Overall (I'm sure there are very few great CFI's there tho.)
ATP CFI's learn to teach ATP (Airline Training Professional) style. Not real world teaching...
ATP style = The NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND style... #TrainToOnlyPassTheTests
Before I ran out of money for my Commercial ticket.... I was taking lesson at an FBO that hired an ATP CFI...
It took me 4 lessons & a Night 100nm X-country to realize I was doing a better job teaching myself... He was DEAD SERIOUS when he told me he "hates instructing," and "only wanted to build hours for the airlines."
Dude just sat there and shot da Shytttt... As if it was a "paired cross X-country flight." Not giving instructions or tips whatsoever. He even said "let me fly a little, U can relax, your doing great, I have the controls." (NO instruction, no answer to my questions, no tips... NOTHING) To avoid issues or argument, I let him fly a bit. It was all on my dime ($55 x 2.3) Smh.
I spoke to the boss that I wasn't learning anything, and was literally teaching myself and paying that CFI for nothing.
Before that CFI, I heard and read bad rumors about ATP CFI's... I decided not to stereotype, and I gave him a shot... But that guy proved all the Bad Rumors to be true IMHO... I still think it's true. Substandard CFI's Overall (I'm sure there are very few great CFI's there tho.)
ATP CFI's learn to teach ATP (Airline Training Professional) style. Not real world teaching...
ATP style = The NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND style... #TrainToOnlyPassTheTests
ASpilot2be
Qbicle seat warmer
There are some bad ones out there, but I lucked out and two of the best instructors I could possibly ask for. One was an older lady who was super patient, and relaxed. I learned a lot from her, and since she was a brand new instructor she learned a lot from me.As for ATP CFI's..... Well, I'll never forget this 1.
Before I ran out of money for my Commercial ticket.... I was taking lesson at an FBO that hired an ATP CFI...
It took me 4 lessons & a Night 100nm X-country to realize I was doing a better job teaching myself... He was DEAD SERIOUS when he told me he "hates instructing," and "only wanted to build hours for the airlines."
Dude just sat there and shot da Shytttt... As if it was a "paired cross X-country flight." Not giving instructions or tips whatsoever. He even said "let me fly a little, U can relax, your doing great, I have the controls." (NO instruction, no answer to my questions, no tips... NOTHING) To avoid issues or argument, I let him fly a bit. It was all on my dime ($55 x 2.3) Smh.
I spoke to the boss that I wasn't learning anything, and was literally teaching myself and paying that CFI for nothing.
Before that CFI, I heard and read bad rumors about ATP CFI's... I decided not to stereotype, and I gave him a shot... But that guy proved all the Bad Rumors to be true IMHO... I still think it's true. Substandard CFI's Overall (I'm sure there are very few great CFI's there tho.)
ATP CFI's learn to teach ATP (Airline Training Professional) style. Not real world teaching...
ATP style = The NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND style... #TrainToOnlyPassTheTests
My other instructor was a younger lady who had tons of mountain flying experience, and some aerobatic experience. I learned a lot from her too.
I think the instructors vary by location. So there is my positive ATP instructor story.
HVYMETALDRVR
Well-Known Member
A flight school is only good as its instructors and every school has its bad eggs whether its the local FBO, ATP, ERAU, UND, Aviator or wherever...
Go the FBO route. You will save money. I currently own a FBO/flight school. I can get people PVT-MEI for ~35k (the price of a car). Our last 2 flight instructors were hired at a freight company and have furthered themselves with no "guaranteed interview" and they are making more than a 1st year regional FO! They are also debt free. Make sure you do your research. Do not go into debt for this. The ROI is not very good
Zondaracer
Well-Known Member
I went to a local FBO type flight school, and even working full time I was able to fly up to 30 hours a month some months. If I wasn´t working, I could probably have done the ratings as fast as ATP (this was in the Southwest where weather was very accommodating)
I hear that. I flew most the large Caribbean islands all the way down and hit the party scene along the way. Memories that last a life time.
crfguy51
Well-Known Member
As for ATP CFI's..... Well, I'll never forget this 1.
Before I ran out of money for my Commercial ticket.... I was taking lesson at an FBO that hired an ATP CFI...
It took me 4 lessons & a Night 100nm X-country to realize I was doing a better job teaching myself... He was DEAD SERIOUS when he told me he "hates instructing," and "only wanted to build hours for the airlines."
Dude just sat there and shot da Shytttt... As if it was a "paired cross X-country flight." Not giving instructions or tips whatsoever. He even said "let me fly a little, U can relax, your doing great, I have the controls." (NO instruction, no answer to my questions, no tips... NOTHING) To avoid issues or argument, I let him fly a bit. It was all on my dime ($55 x 2.3) Smh.
I spoke to the boss that I wasn't learning anything, and was literally teaching myself and paying that CFI for nothing.
Before that CFI, I heard and read bad rumors about ATP CFI's... I decided not to stereotype, and I gave him a shot... But that guy proved all the Bad Rumors to be true IMHO... I still think it's true. Substandard CFI's Overall (I'm sure there are very few great CFI's there tho.)
ATP CFI's learn to teach ATP (Airline Training Professional) style. Not real world teaching...
ATP style = The NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND style... #TrainToOnlyPassTheTests
He's not an ATP CFI, he might of been trained by ATP but there's probably a reason he didn't instruct there (or did and was asked to leave, was not offered a job, or did not pass training).
Having experienced both FBO's and ATP there's bad CFI's everywhere.
Bad eggs at ATP don't last long, they end up getting ejected and picking up jobs working as a disgruntled CFI elsewhere. (see above)