ATP flight school? Good or bad?

A loan requires you to pay it back. Most grants don't (but may require work or other stuff during the grant period). Not a lot of 'em out there.

Getting that entry job paying minimum wage (plus a pittance if you're lucky) while you have 4-5 times your annual salary as debt - look HARD for better ways!
 
SquatThrust said:
This is a purely anecdotal viewpoint, so take this for what its worth, as it is probably just my horrible luck, but every single ATP product I've met and flown with has had poor stick and rudder skills, poor SA, and poor ADM skills. Ultimately a trained monkey is what I refer to them as. I've never been through the ATP program, but from what I've heard and thus seen, it adds up in my little head.
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That's funny my experiences have been the exact opposite.
 
SquatThrust said:
This is a purely anecdotal viewpoint, so take this for what its worth, as it is probably just my horrible luck, but every single ATP product I've met and flown with has had poor stick and rudder skills, poor SA, and poor ADM skills. Ultimately a trained monkey is what I refer to them as. I've never been through the ATP program, but from what I've heard and thus seen, it adds up in my little head.
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I've experienced the same thing with Riddle grads
 
SquatThrust said:
This is a purely anecdotal viewpoint, so take this for what its worth, as it is probably just my horrible luck, but every single ATP product I've met and flown with has had poor stick and rudder skills, poor SA, and poor ADM skills. Ultimately a trained monkey is what I refer to them as. I've never been through the ATP program, but from what I've heard and thus seen, it adds up in my little head.
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Sounds like most pilot factories out there...It's even worse when their "instructor" was some guy who went through the same program only months earlier and literally knows nothing outside of said program.
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
If you wash out mid IFR training as an example. And say you still have $45k in your balance, you can get a refund, right? You didn't use it...
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It's a prorated deal. And the way the figure it is the airplane/instructor combo is really expensive. Some of the training you get is "free." That is considered when you get your money back. Basically, don't screw around, and most people do fine.
 
mshunter said:
It's a prorated deal. And the way the figure it is the airplane/instructor combo is really expensive. Some of the training you get is "free." That is considered when you get your money back. Basically, don't screw around, and most people do fine.
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Okay... say that again, only in English this time...
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
Okay... say that again, only in English this time...
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Sure, let's say you pay up front for the airline pilot combo number 1 and decide to drop out halfway through IFR. They over-value the training you receive, and so when you go to cash out and they add up your hours and multiply it by their absurd individual rate, and your refund starts looking pretty small. I (naively) left at the CFI stage thinking because I had about 15% of my training left there would still be some cash left I could use somewhere else, but I never got a check. Just a "see ya sucker" email.
 
mshunter said:
It's a prorated deal. And the way the figure it is the airplane/instructor combo is really expensive. Some of the training you get is "free." That is considered when you get your money back. Basically, don't screw around, and most people do fine.
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I have heard its somewhere around $400/hr
 
mshunter said:
Not sure if you're serious.
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Yes. I was serious. You know I love you right? No homo. (Do people still say that?) Anyway. You're not the most clearest, cleanest writer. What you're probably thinking in your head doesn't always... okay ever... come out as neatly written, read and understood as you probably originally meant it to. But seriously... I really appreciate you answering my question though.
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
Yes. I was serious. You know I love you right? No homo. (Do people still say that?) Anyway. You're not the most clearest, cleanest writer. What you're probably thinking in your head doesn't always... okay ever... come out as neatly written, read and understood as you probably originally meant it to. But seriously... I really appreciate you answering my question though.
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What, you go straight on us?
 
Poor.... From what I've heard about outsiders perspective on their grads.

Great...from what I've heard from the pilots who went there.

Pick your poison
 
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Have you considered doing a program affiliated with an affordable state school (MTSU ? Polk state ? ) as that will give you vastly more access to funding options since that seems to be a concern (as it should be). Get an associates in professional flight / aeronautics and finish the bachelors in something else. The other plus side of collegiate aviation is you kill two birds with one stone knocking out credit hours (not to mention lower rATP mins).

Then Instruct years 3-4 .

That's how I'd do it if I were 10 years younger and just out of HS.
Also, the general eds you earned this year should transfer , as well as the private asel when you finish it.
 
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tcco94 said:
Poor.... From what I've heard about outsiders perspective on their grads.

Great...from what I've heard from the pilots who went there.

Pick your poison
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Meh. I think it's neither. It's all what instructor you get, and what you make of it. The biggest difference in the big box schools is they assign you an instructor, and that's your instructor. At a mom and pop, you are going to be able to "filter" through a few until you find one you click with. For some, it won't matter. For others it can make all the difference.
 
mshunter said:
Meh. I think it's neither. It's all what instructor you get, and what you make of it. The biggest difference in the big box schools is they assign you an instructor, and that's your instructor. At a mom and pop, you are going to be able to "filter" through a few until you find one you click with. For some, it won't matter. For others it can make all the difference.
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Exactly. I went to ATP and chose one of the smaller locations. Luckily I ended up having amazing instructors! I could not have asked for better ones. They loved teaching, and werent there just to build time. Honestly the best experience I had during all my training.

For me, I really enjoyed my time at ATP. I flew every day, the maintenance was awesome, and I loved the cross countries. It was expensive, and it wouldnt be for everyone.
 
How is ATP in regards to the "self-paced" option? If I had my druthers, I'd just go whole hog and knock out my ratings all at once. However, six to 10 months without a job kinda concerns me.
 
ShyFlyer said:
How is ATP in regards to the "self-paced" option? If I had my druthers, I'd just go whole hog and knock out my ratings all at once. However, six to 10 months without a job kinda concerns me.
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If you're going to go self paced, save a bunch of money, and go somewhere else. The extra expense is only worth knocking it out in a hurry.
 
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