ATP flight school

FlySooner9

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, just wanted to get a feel for what people thought about ATP. Im seriously thinking about going down there to do their MEI/CFII course over the winter break, it'd be way cheaper and faster to do it there rather than OU. Just wanted to know a little about what to expect if i do it.
 
A friend of mine went there and I've heard nothing but good things, especially about the multi engine program. Get ready to get down to business though when you get there. I'm looking at doing my CMEL/MEI with them next summer.
 
Hey guys, just wanted to get a feel for what people thought about ATP. Im seriously thinking about going down there to do their MEI/CFII course over the winter break, it'd be way cheaper and faster to do it there rather than OU. Just wanted to know a little about what to expect if i do it.

I did the same thing last year, got my CFII and MEI with ATP in RDU. The instructors are great, just as friendly and professional as can be and after their training the checkrides were simple. It's obvious that their main office doesn't give a crap about customers though... they pulled some bs excuse and nearly screwed me out of 8 hours of time I had already paid for. Luckily the guys in RDU were able to work it out after a few phone calls.

Long story short I'd say go for it.
 
I went to the VGT location last winter. It was a good time for me but there were some mixed reviews among my classmates. Like said above, its a lot of hard work but if you know your stuff and fly well you'll get the sign off (unless the FSDO assigns you a certain inspector...). My one word of caution is I would budget some extra time in beyond the 2 weeks they quote, just due to weather and sometimes class size issues. I was there 3 weeks and a friend of mine almost 5 weeks.

I did not do the Professional Program, only the CFI course, and I don't instruct for ATP. I was going to do it at my local FBO too but when I inquired on training I was told, "we're too busy to accomodate you, sorry."
 
Good company - but if you're like me, you might be averse to some spikey haired, backpack carrying 19-year old instructing you.
 
I was there several years ago, Nothing but good there. It has a bad name among FBO pilots so I usually dont even tell people where I went to school. They instantly think lower of us I think mostly because it took us quick whereas it took them 3 years to do the same thing. You have to put a lot in it in a short amount of time.
 
You will not have time to study while you're there; just enough time to eat, sleep, and go to class/flight lessons. They send you a box with all the study materials that you must do before you get there.

By the way, there's an entire forum on this site devoted to ATP :)
 
Not worth your time, money or energy with them. My personal opinion is that they dont care whether you pass or fail. They might not even sign you off. My week at CFI school consisted of 2 days of hardcore personal studying(they dont teach anything except how to instruct a Vmc Demo), 2 flights of 2 hours of instruction on the finer points of steep turns in the Seminole, and then a quick 20-30 minute hop for spin training. Spin training consisted of the CFI showing you one to the left and one to the right, then you doing two to the left and two to the right and going home. Kill proofing yourself? no.

Your going to do what your going to do, again just my opinion. But you can get better training locally, where they should be actually invested in you succeeding than spending the money on the airfare, etc to have some kid teach you how to be a CFI, and then some 2 yr CFI is just used to endorse your book and give you spin training. Some things ATP is good for, others they are not, and CFI school is definitely not their specialty.

If anything, some of the "good" cfi responses on here are going to be ATP instructors trying to keep the circle of training going so they still have a job. Giving my opinion on here irritates a couple of folks, enough to have a certain CFI for ATP "attempt" to discredit me. Truth hurts.

One other thing to take note, Do you have a job where you would benefit from being a MEI? the CFI-I is pretty much just like your Instrument checkride.

And since these are addons for you, they are going to be non-event for the most part. I dont know why you wouldn't get the CFI-I locally, besides airplane rental, it'd be only an hour or two of training if that; before I'd assume you'd be ready. The MEI is similar to your PMEL, whats different? There isn't much to that either. Only thing that would suck for the MEI is finding a twin to do the checkride in that isnt going to break the bank.

If you were up to snuff I would probably say 5-7 hrs of multi training, and 3-4 single engine. Most likely less if you were on the ball. Your a CFI, so you should have the knowledge and experience. Would all that cost more than $4k at ATP?

Anyways, wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide.
 
Everyone I know who went there, and many of my friends did, recommends it. However they did warn me its ALL ON YOU. They don't care if you pass or fail. From what I hear they give you the materials and say "You have x amount of time to get your stuff together and pass this test". I also hear the program is very strict with a military type discipline to it. But if you're already a CFI you shouldn't have an issue with all that.
 
Study, study, study, before you get there. Their program was built for students that have been going full speed through their ACPP program. They expect you to know your stuff before you get their. I went through the ATL school and didn't have any problems. I have heard of issues where they would not sign people off at both JAX and Vegas. Basically the program is what you make of it. If you want to get the ratings fast in a multi then its a great program.
 
Not worth your time, money or energy with them. My personal opinion is that they dont care whether you pass or fail. They might not even sign you off. My week at CFI school consisted of 2 days of hardcore personal studying(they dont teach anything except how to instruct a Vmc Demo), 2 flights of 2 hours of instruction on the finer points of steep turns in the Seminole, and then a quick 20-30 minute hop for spin training. Spin training consisted of the CFI showing you one to the left and one to the right, then you doing two to the left and two to the right and going home. Kill proofing yourself? no.

Your going to do what your going to do, again just my opinion. But you can get better training locally, where they should be actually invested in you succeeding than spending the money on the airfare, etc to have some kid teach you how to be a CFI, and then some 2 yr CFI is just used to endorse your book and give you spin training. Some things ATP is good for, others they are not, and CFI school is definitely not their specialty.

If anything, some of the "good" cfi responses on here are going to be ATP instructors trying to keep the circle of training going so they still have a job. Giving my opinion on here irritates a couple of folks, enough to have a certain CFI for ATP "attempt" to discredit me. Truth hurts.

One other thing to take note, Do you have a job where you would benefit from being a MEI? the CFI-I is pretty much just like your Instrument checkride.

And since these are addons for you, they are going to be non-event for the most part. I dont know why you wouldn't get the CFI-I locally, besides airplane rental, it'd be only an hour or two of training if that; before I'd assume you'd be ready. The MEI is similar to your PMEL, whats different? There isn't much to that either. Only thing that would suck for the MEI is finding a twin to do the checkride in that isnt going to break the bank.

If you were up to snuff I would probably say 5-7 hrs of multi training, and 3-4 single engine. Most likely less if you were on the ball. Your a CFI, so you should have the knowledge and experience. Would all that cost more than $4k at ATP?

Anyways, wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide.


After that bashing of ATP, I thinks it's probably safe to say you had a bad experince. I t's funny I see this thread after the day I had. We got an e-mail at my school from a "disgruntled" student. Apparently I was not up to his liking of instructing, nearly a year ago (honestly, it took you that long) and that was after only one flight. But, back to the bold in the above paragraph. Thats preaty much the hours you get at ATP. So, you post makes no sense. You get 5 hrs of prep for each ride you take. And as for the CFI stuff, at that level, you had better know how to find the info. You should not have your hand held.....what are you going to do in the plane, with a student, when there is no one to ask........

Bang for the buck, no one can touch ATP's price. BUT, you had better be a self starer, motivated, and ready when you show up knowledge wise. If your looking for an example of someone who studies, andhow to do it effectively, find this felle in these forums who goes by the name of shdw. He seems to be preaty well versed on all thing aviation, even if he is still a little wet behind the ears...
 
Great tool for getting your CFIs done quickly,

I did mine a few years back and lucked out that the career CFI really did care, but like everyone else has mentioned you need to come prepared and it's mostly up to you, which is nothing wrong since you are the one that wants it. I'm about to head back for a 2 say ATP.
 
It seems like alot of the responses are advice on the Total CFI program, which gives you an initial MEI and then CFISE and CFII add-ons.

However, from your signature, I see you already have your initial CFI so this is a completely different story; You have already done the hard part.

The MEI/II Program is very successful in DFW and fairly cheap.
 
I'm actually thinking about doing this program myself but over spring break.
 
I disliked my experience.

Put the money down for Mulit-add/on, CFII and MEI. I was an instructor already.

After the Add-on, I got a refund for the CFII and MEI and left and did it on my own.

Flyunity warned me back in 07 that it wasn't for everybody.
It wasn't for me and a lot of other people I know.
Love it or hate it.
 
The II/MEI course is pretty straight forward, and it's nothing like ATPs "CFI school", so those posts don't really address the OP. I did the II/MEI course in 2007, then taught there.

Show up knowing the following:

1. be ready to pass both orals before you get there
2. know the Seminole supplement they send you forwards and backwards
3. show up instrument proficient (i.e. able to pass your instrument ride, DME arcs, holds, etc etc)

And it'll be a very easy 5 days.
 
From what I hear all they teach you is how to pass a checkride quickly....If you want the rating then go for it, if you are going to teach then dont go there.
 
...has ATP, came back to earth? I'm not seeing a $75k price tag for the pro pilot program!

Instead of a more realistic $39k price tag!

What's wrong..the boat sailed on the $75k loan bidness?

So ATP had reenter the earths atmosphere in the Apollo command module and splash down in the Atlantic with a decent price for their program!

Sucks..
 
Back
Top