Recent flight hours for airlines, ATP

Sherwood44

Sherwood44

New Member
Good day. I've looked around quite a bit, but thought I'd post this VFR-direct questions:

This might seem like a nice problem to have but I'm looking for some opinions from the field. I'm preparing to retire from the Air Force with 3300+ hrs in C-5s and T-37s (instructor time in both). Unfortunately, I took a non-flying jobs for the last 5 years and took my last checkride in 2013 (12 total hours that year). I also missed the new ATP class cut-off due to an unscheduled deployment and PCS (all my bad for not paying more attention to the impact of the rule).

1 - Besides going to an ATP crash course for $5-7K+, is there a better path?
2 - I read some airlines were planning to teach the course during indoc - any truth there? Who?
3- Is the hiring wave strong enough that I could get an interview/hired with this lack of recent flying (assuming I bit the bullet and got my ATP) ?

Just wanting a PIREP before I blow my rainy day savings on an ATP. Many thanks in advance.

Blue skies!
 
1) I believe Sporty's is the cheapest one that I have seen anywhere - $4,500. Someone else might know of a cheaper one.
2) In the future, this will likely be the case. Most all of the regionals have applied to be able to do this, but I think only one has since been approved.
3) There are lots of guys getting hired by the regionals with far less experience than you. I doubt that your lack of recent flying will be a hinderance at all. Once you are current, I would imagine that you would be a great candidate for a major or LCC. I doubt you are attractive to the majors/lcc's right now, but you will be pretty soon.

If you want to wait 6 months, you may be able to get one for free with someone, but it all depends on when the FAA decides to approve the programs that the regionals have applied for.
 
A few regionals have the ATP CTP program for the written test, and more and more will start offering them soon.

DO NOT PAY FOR THIS PROGRAM OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET OR WITH MILITARY BENEFITS. Your money is better spent elsewhere, let an employer pay for this one.
 
threeighteen said:
DO NOT PAY FOR THIS PROGRAM OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET OR WITH MILITARY BENEFITS.
Click to expand...

I would argue that if it were a choice between paying this program or working for an airline that you don't want to work for, do the program. The $5000 will be paid back ten fold by going to an airline that has benefits that you want. Going to an airline that has a good contract, good benefits, a base where you live/easily commutable, constant upward movement, and growth potential are all very important. I would not give up all of those just to go somewhere that has an ATP CTP program.

It is sad that you would have to choose, however. In a perfect world, all airlines would cover this, and I am sure that most will by the end of the year.
 
Thanks for all the advice. Just reading this week about Southwest's application guidelines and Piedmont's "pay to fly" program, the demand is certainly going to be there a while. Recent hours are going to be my issue. I also reached out to some friends in the FAA and recent flight time is important there as well.

Sounds like I need to wait and allow the regionals to get approved (can't "buy" flight hours with GI bill anyways, only class and testing). I'm considering a stint with a civilian contractor flying in the mid-east, but I'm not real fond of ditching in ISIS or Taliban territory. I'll probably be better served by getting my CFII current and hanging out at the FBO with part 91 crews.
 
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