Is ATP Flight school right for me?

P

Patrick Lindsay

New Member
I currently live in Oregon and am looking at possible flight schools for a career in commercial avation I would like a job with fedex but don't have tunnel vision on the air freight industry I have 50 hours single engine and a sport pilots liscence money is not an issue at all trust me and housing isn't either I'd like to attend there PDX location but am willing to move.Any other Flight School recommendations are appreciated and any advice is welcome
 
I was an instructor at ATP back in 2007. If money is not an issue and you will not go into debt, then I would def recommend going through the program as it will get you there pretty quickly. They run it a bit like an airline and even though you are paying.
 
phoenix 23684 said:
I was an instructor at ATP back in 2007. If money is not an issue and you will not go into debt, then I would def recommend going through the program as it will get you there pretty quickly. They run it a bit like an airline and even though you are paying.
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Thank you and if you didn't mind me asking did ATP get you any interviews with regional carries?
 
You could do it for less money by going somewhere else, but if you just want to hand money over and have them take care of everything, tell you where to be and when to be there, then do it. DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR IT PLEASE.

I did their CFI/CFII/MEI program years ago and I got what I wanted out of it. Keep in mind that everything has a set number of hours attached to it so you need to be on your A game, study hard, and put your best effort in.

ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT GO INTO ANY KIND OF DEBT FOR IT.
 
If you're attempting to go to ATP as a route to get you to FedEx faster, I'd choose elsewhere personally.

I imagine they're still gonna be looking for 4 year degrees when your time comes to shine.
 
Shop around. Visit several schools and then make your decision. Maybe it's for you, maybe it's not. Visit small schools and big schools alike. Talk to different students.
 
If you want to get all of your ratings quickly and money is not an issue, I highly recommend it. There are plenty of flight schools out there big and small and it really depends upon what you feel offers the best training environment for the price. Like tcco94 mentioned, I would think that having a four year degree would be crucial if your goal is Fedex.
 
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Also, enjoy your training while it lasts. Some days will literally suck so bad you want to quit. Don't rush it and be miserable. Flying is an art of beauty. I hate seeing people rush it and complain 98% of their path.

Enjoy it and never stop learning. With that philosophy and mindset, you'll be able to get past the negativity that comes with flight training and working around instructors...IMO
 
If you go to ATP, go to ATP in Phoenix (IWA location). I stopped by the HIO location in Portland last year and some of the poor kids were only getting one flight in every 2 weeks because of the weather.
 
mshunter said:
Why? I went to ATP. I liked it. And I was done in less than a year. It wasn't easy, but that's what I liked about it.
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I said I personally wouldn't...because my goal wasn't to become a no hour pilot to a CFI in a year. I wanted an education. I wanted to enjoy the finer things in life.

I got an education and became a CFI 3 years after my solo date. Sure some view it as being long but I had a degree, R-ATP mins, and a CFI Cert all at the age of 21. I also had $92,000 of student debt but I would have had 2/3 that at ATP so for me it was a win-win all around. I wouldn't suggest it because I enjoyed my route.

Nothing against ATP in particular...because I know a lot of good pilots from there...but if I could do it again or give advice I'd say enjoy it and get your degree in something. College is meant to be in person, not on online and flight training rushed. How much time do you really shave off? A year or two?

That being said, you liked it and maybe your circumstances were a bit different. Maybe you needed to rush it. We've all got different backgrounds and approach it differently.
 
tcco94 said:
I said I personally wouldn't...because my goal wasn't to become a no hour pilot to a CFI in a year. I wanted an education. I wanted to enjoy the finer things in life.

I got an education and became a CFI 3 years after my solo date. Sure some view it as being long but I had a degree, R-ATP mins, and a CFI Cert all at the age of 21. I also had $92,000 of student debt but I would have had 2/3 that at ATP so for me it was a win-win all around. I wouldn't suggest it because I enjoyed my route.

Nothing against ATP in particular...because I know a lot of good pilots from there...but if I could do it again or give advice I'd say enjoy it and get your degree in something. College is meant to be in person, not on online and flight training rushed. How much time do you really shave off? A year or two?

That being said, you liked it and maybe your circumstances were a bit different. Maybe you needed to rush it. We've all got different backgrounds and approach it differently.
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Fair enough. But the OP says money isn't an issue. If I were in their shoes, I'd go to ATP, get done, get a degree, and be done.

I personally enjoyed ATP, immensely. It was a real challenge. No band holding, clear objectives, and no one is responsible for your progress but yourself.
 
I start February 8.

I'm 35 and looking to fly for a living - just got my private in November.

For me it was (almost) a no brainer to choose an accelerated program like ATP to expedite this mid-life course change. There's only so long my wife will put up with me not being gainfully employed ;).

If I was younger and didn't have the means to do ATP debt-free, I'd probably take the year or so it would take to get all the ratings at a smaller flight school/club.

From a purely life-experience perspective: if I were you, I would go to college first and enjoy that. Get a degree in something non-aviation. Get your private somewhere in there, and fly for fun. Impress girls. Gain some non-aviation work experience. It seems much easier to transition into professional aviation later in life than it is to transition out of it.

YMMV.

Fix
 
Shop around, if you have the $$$ in hand you can most likely find another flight school that will allow you to buy a block of hours at a discounted rate. Also ATP is payment up front! If you get halfway thru training and decide it's not for you, then you are stuck with the bill. And if you get to a point where you need more training you will pay an extra premium for it.

If you are worried about the accelerated part, if you apply yourself and commit to flight training 110% like ATP requires you too, you can complete the flight training just a quickly elsewhere. And save some money.

I went to ATP as well, I got what I needed out of it. It was very very quick, and very tough. It takes 110% commitment, and you are on your own for a lot of the book work, which some can't handle.

The best part of ATP is the friends you will make with the same goals as yourself. I have made lifelong friends at ATP which has made a difference in my career.
 
I highly recommend it. If money is an issue. There are many pilot training schools provides scholarship and financial aid. You need to check their website and find the best option for you.
 
At ATP, you'll pay a premium for a structured program that is accelerated. I doubt you'll get done any faster at a mom and pop, but you'll save money.

Ignore the "guaranteed interview" crap, that'd just marketing. Once you meet the hourly requirements, you'll get hired.
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
Where, which ones?
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He has no idea and is just posting nonsense/fluff since he joined. Read his posts, you'll see what I mean. Same user name now over at POA board and similar nonsense/just joined. One of his posts over there he copied something that someone else had posted on another forum clear back in 2005. lol
 
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A Life Aloft said:
He has no idea and is just posting nonsense/fluff since he joined. Read his posts, you'll see what I mean. Same user name now over at POA board and similar nonsense/just joined. One of his posts over there he copied something that someone else had posted on another forum clear back in 2005. lol
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Yeah, that's what I figured, which is why I wanted him to show proof of his statement.
 
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