ATP 150 day fast track

A

Airmann

Well-Known Member
I am new to aviation and to this forum. I have read a lot about students and if they should or shouldn't go to a ATP type school, or go to a local FBO school, and save the money and loans.

My question is, if I have the training that the ATP 150 day fast track would provide, PPL, commercial, multiengine, instrument, cfi's etc, if I had the cost paid for and did not have to take out a loan.

On that basis, is the ATP or other accelerated programs out there worth going to, or do people still suggest getting the training at the local FBO?

I want to obtain all the ratings as soon as possible, and then start building time/multi time too.

I appreciate the input.

Also, what is the thought about buying a used twin, then selling block time to help recover costs and being able to build muti time?
 
I went to ATP. It depends on the person. You HAVE to be motivated and a self starter to go to ATP. They will not hold your hand, and you are expected to get the majority of the info on your own. Right now, whats the rush?
 
I second what mshunter said. You have to be self motivated. They will not hold your hand at all. When I was there in 2008 if you did not keep up they will show you the door. That being said from my experience most of the instructors were really good and I had a great time.
 
Thank you for your reply. I am very motivated. How realistic is it to be able to complete and obtain all the listed ratings in 150 days or close to it? I want to learn everything and not just be passed along.

Do you get the 115 hours of multengine time that they say, and do you get the cross country flights in the multiengine as well? All things considered, would you recommend the 150 day ATP program. I want to at least be in the job market within 6 months and there is not a locl FBO that can get the job done in 150 days, and the local FBO's have not been able to come close to the ratings, the time, the price?
 
Maybe it has been a while since I looked at the website, but ATP is at a 150-day program now?

They decided 90 days was too fast?

EDIT: both programs are listed. So they ditched the 10-month program, is that it?
 
ATP will keep the promises they give you, and they have a lot of experience getting people through the program. Thats the positives I can recommend to you.

It costs a lot of money, thats a negative.
 
killbilly said:
Maybe it has been a while since I looked at the website, but ATP is at a 150-day program now?

They decided 90 days was too fast?

EDIT: both programs are listed. So they ditched the 10-month program, is that it?
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60 day for private + 90 days for Career program = 150 days
 
I currently instruct at a 2 year college I can honestly say that my students are learning new things and gaining valuable experience every single day. To rush through all of your ratings in a few months inherently requires you to forgo some of the studying and learning that you would have time for if you spent more time on your training. Even with 2 years to work with there are still times that I wish I had more time to spend on certain areas. Like another poster pointed out, times are a lot different now than they were a few years ago and there's really no rush.

Another consideration that I should mention when considering an FBO is the quality of the equipment and instruction. FBOs are more geared towards private certificates and instrument ratings as opposed to training professional pilots who want to make a career out of aviation. The amount of time spent on the ground is usually less than at an academy or college and certain topics are not covered as in depth. Also keep in mind that FBOs generally do not own FTDs (simulators) and their aircraft may be older and less equipped than the aircraft at a larger flight school. Again, these generalizations do not apply to all FBOs so make sure you do some research.
 
To answer your question about the flight time. What is says is you will get 165 hours of multi engine experience. 50 of those hours will be in the sim, the other 115 will be in the airplane. The contract you sign states that number plus or minus 5 hours.

Yes you do do IFR cross country flight in the twin, but I believe they do some of the cross country flights in the Cessna as well now.

Would I recommend it. That depends on what your goals are. If you stated goal is to be in the job market in 6 months, then ATP is the way to go. Realize that you will have to instruct or do something for a couple of years before you can get on with a airline. The instructors are good for the most part, but you will find a bad apple at every school. The biggest negative is the money and whether or not you can get a loan if you need it. If you have any questions you are more then welcome to PM me.
 
I can't say much about ATP other than I know a few people who went through it and were quite satisfied with the program.

However, if you go to ATP I think you miss out on one big thing that comes with building time the FBO route.

Taking your friends to far away places for fun!

At ATP everything is structured for you and you get in and get out as quickly as possible. When you fly through an FBO, you can take fun trips with your girlfriend to awesome places to get a burger.

I've flown with my girlfriend to the Grand Canyon, northern California, and Las Vegas multiple times. I've also taken many of my friends up flying for the first time around LA or Catalina. The memories I have from all these trips will never go away. And I'm only at 120TT, I still have so much more time to build!

I feel like at a structured place like ATP you get robbed of this opportunity. Yes, you get long cross countries in a Seminole...but it's designed like you're an airline pilot, not just flying for fun. If all you want to do is get your ratings as quickly as possible and get an instructing gig, that's fine. But this opportunity doesn't come often. After ATP, you will be too busy and broke to fly for fun. I think you should take advantage of it while you have the chance. :pirate:
 
Whats the hurry? I thought flying was supposed to be fun (at least when you are starting out.)

No one is hiring so I would enjoy the ride of your training. Take your time, see many things. Instead of getting a bunch of safety pilot ME time use some of the timebuilding time to get your tailwheel endorsement, fly some acro, get a glider rating.
 
Airmann said:
Thank you for your reply. I am very motivated. How realistic is it to be able to complete and obtain all the listed ratings in 150 days or close to it? I want to learn everything and not just be passed along.
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If you really want to learn everything, why are you in such a rush to get all of your certs/ratings in 150 days?
 
I did the program, 150 days. If you're not into LONG days (14-16 hrs) 6 days a week and KEEPING UP with everything it's not for you. Very military. It's sink or swim. You do get everything they promise but you work hard for it. You get eight ratings in five months. Do the math.

I would wake up at 6-7am and walk to my Jepp Instrument book and study..study..take practice test....everyday. You get 8 hrs of Multi eng training then your checkride. 3 weeks for your instrument training. They want your writtens done at the beginning of each phase. Get in the zone and go.
 
Bah, its not that long or hard. There was plenty of time for Xbox or BBQing when I was there. Make sure to do group study with your roommates. It is much more effective than studying on your own for most people.
 
SpiraMirabilis said:
Bah, its not that long or hard. There was plenty of time for Xbox or BBQing when I was there. Make sure to do group study with your roommates. It is much more effective than studying on your own for most people.
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Best thing said in this thread so far. It does take a group effort to get through it. And you WILL make contacts at ATP. I have run across a few people I went to ATP with on these very boards. And some of my ATP buds are now flying respectable jobs. Bottom line is, they (employer) doesn't ask where you get your certificates, they ask if you have them. As for the "fun" FBO x-countries, I had plenty. I got to drive Boss Hoss's caddy in San Angelo TX, Went to Vegas a few times, came home to CA and visited family on x-countries, etc. If you get in good with dispatch, you may even be able to finangle going from east coast to west coast. In a small airplane, that can be a once in a lifetime experince.
 
Jshutt64 said:
However, if you go to ATP I think you miss out on one big thing that comes with building time the FBO route.

Taking your friends to far away places for fun!

At ATP everything is structured for you and you get in and get out as quickly as possible. When you fly through an FBO, you can take fun trips with your girlfriend to awesome places to get a burger.

I feel like at a structured place like ATP you get robbed of this opportunity.
Click to expand...

Quite the contrary, IMHO.

I went to ATP and that certainly didn't stop me from having fun cross country flying with friends and family. I rented planes from SkyMates on the side during and after my program at ATP. Galveston for fresh shrimp with the wife, Hot Springs AK for a dip in the... well... Hot Springs. Taking my daughter up for fun on a beautiful spring day just so she could be near the clouds. Taking the parents out to Llano or Stephenville for some awesome BBQ. Flying with my other flight buddies (flight of 4 in tandem) to Shreveport and getting picked up at the airport in a Limo provided courtesy of the local casino. Etc. Using ATP allowed me to go to these great places with my friends & family sooner, while feeling more comfortable doing so.

Quite frankly, it was the very "structure" of the program that you criticize that made me feel even more comfortable taking my friends and family to those great destinations. Feeling extremely at ease with approach controllers, weather, differing terrain, and unfamiliar airport operations, was one of the best bennies I took away from the program that I continue to use today in my GA flying.

Jshutt64 said:
After ATP, you will be too busy and broke to fly for fun. I think you should take advantage of it while you have the chance. :pirate:
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That's a blanket statement of course... and while everyone's experience is different, it certainly wasn't my experience. Aviation is what you make of it... if you find a way to make it fun, then there's no stopping you, no matter what type of flight training you ultimately decide upon. :)

Bob
 
Captain_Bob said:
Quite the contrary, IMHO.

I went to ATP and that certainly didn't stop me from having fun cross country flying with friends and family. I rented planes from SkyMates on the side during and after my program at ATP. Galveston for fresh shrimp with the wife, Hot Springs AK for a dip in the... well... Hot Springs. Taking my daughter up for fun on a beautiful spring day just so she could be near the clouds. Taking the parents out to Llano or Stephenville for some awesome BBQ. Flying with my other flight buddies (flight of 4 in tandem) to Shreveport and getting picked up at the airport in a Limo provided courtesy of the local casino. Etc. Using ATP allowed me to go to these great places with my friends & family sooner, while feeling more comfortable doing so.

Quite frankly, it was the very "structure" of the program that you criticize that made me feel even more comfortable taking my friends and family to those great destinations. Feeling extremely at ease with approach controllers, weather, differing terrain, and unfamiliar airport operations, was one of the best bennies I took away from the program that I continue to use today in my GA flying.

That's a blanket statement of course... and while everyone's experience is different, it certainly wasn't my experience. Aviation is what you make of it... if you find a way to make it fun, then there's no stopping you, no matter what type of flight training you ultimately decide upon. :)

Bob
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Your experience far outweighs mine, so I retract my statement. Thanks for your input, Bob. :)
 
I always wonder if people are just looking for positive reinforcement by posing questions like this to the ATP success story forum. (and if you are, that's cool, sometimes you need that)
ATP has a looooot of success stories, they are good at what they do but here the opinions won't be very varied.
Though like mshunter and others have said, it is not for everybody, but for some it is perfect.
The choice between FBO, college or accelerated really takes inner reflection after collecting the facts.
 
Jshutt64 said:
Your experience far outweighs mine, so I retract my statement. Thanks for your input, Bob. :)
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No need to retract your statement. You make a point... I make a counterpoint, and thus... Healthy discussion ensues. :)

Although, I'd argue that this forum is far from a "cheering" section for ATP... Douglas makes an excellent point that a flight school decision is a very personal choice, and should only be made based on facts accumulated from research and of course visiting different types of flight schools.

That said... There's really no reason to discount personal experiences of pilots who have been down the very path you are interested in following... Just as long as you are aware that your experience may vary.

Bob
 
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