Dallas location

ronbo422

New Member
Hey everyone,
I'm a new member to the board and have recently decided to pursue flying as a new career. I have my private license with about 55 hours. I found ATP's website and am SERIOUSLY considering the ACP program. As a career changer I feel the need to get started soon, as I'll be 37 in April. My question is where is the Dallas location? DFW, Addison, etc?
Thanks,
Ronbo
 
Even better, no need to fight too much traffic (vehicles) since it's on the south side. Get this....that's where I took my first "discovery" flight back in the 80's. That's also where I dazzled family members after getting my private lic. Things always seem to come around full circle.
Thanks for the info, Ghostrider.
~Ronbo
 
Hey ronbo-
I started the ACP program at Dallas about 4 weeks ago- lemmie know if you have any questions about the place.
 
I was just curious if anyone knows anything about Dallas Aircraft Services? Do they have a good rep, aircraft, instructors…I was thinking about sending a resume to them.
 
Dallas location (Arlington)

Hey there CapnJim!

If you have time between your long cross country's... I have some questions for you.

I will be attending ATP's ACPP this summer at Arlington, since we are relocating from Portland Maine to the DFW area. (Actually I grew up in arlington so I think this will be great.)

Now that you've been in the program for a few months... how about an update... would you be able to take me through your first few weeks?
What was/is your biggest challenges?
How are the instructors?
How many students currently in the ACP program there?
What do you think are the chances of you getting an instructor position with ATP?
Has anyone dropped or been dropped out of the program since you've been there, and if so why?

I'm getting excited and can't wait to get there, it was between ATP and Tyler (Oxford) Aviation... ultimately ATP won out.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts if you get the chance to respond. If not... then this question goes to anyone else in Dallas Location.
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Bob
 
Re: Dallas location (Arlington)

I'd be happy to tell you everything I know!
I'm out of the X-country phase now, caught up on my sleep, and gettin' ready to start on the Commercial Multi and Single.
With any luck, I may be an instructor there not too long after you start
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Well, the first few weeks are pretty busy, but only a taste of whats to come. If you can, get your writtens done early. It will give you MUCH less to have to worry about. When your books and supplies come, read the Seminole supplement cover to cover, twice. Good, good things in there. Also, try to memorize as much of the checklist as you can. It won't make too much sense before you get in the aircraft, but if you can follow along with the Seminole cockpit picture in the back of the supplement, it will put you ahead. You get between 5-8 hours in the Seminole for your Multi-Private transition (about a week), and then straight into the Instrument training. You'll sim for a week or so (about 50 hours) doing approach after approach after approach, and then into the Seminole do do the manuvers under the hood. If you can nail the manuvers in the sim, the actual flying will already be ingrained into muscle memory, and be a piece of cake. Your Instrument checkride will come sooner than you would like; don't worry, you will be ready. After the Instruent checkride you will do an insurance ride with a different instructor who will grade your progress and sign you off for the cross country phase. After that it's off to the east coast or west coast circuit, and more fun, experience, and airports than you can shake a stick at. Take a camera.
When you get back (this is where I am now...) you will start on your commercial Single and Multi manuvers, oral exam, etc., after which you will be off to Jacksonville FL for the CFI training (Spin training baby! Yeah!!) somewhere in between the Commercial and CFI training, or shortly thereafter, you will do the Citation ride. Study the videos and workbook carefully, and ask your instructor for a checklist to study. Know the callouts, V-speeds and procedures well, and you will have fun. After your CFI, CFII, and MEI, you may have a bit of cross country time left, but other than that, you are done. Write your resume and send it to Jax, and if the folks down there like what they see, you'll be wearing the ATP shirts and mumbling "...stay on that needle...don't overcorrect.." in your sleep
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The instructors are awesome, every one. I don't have a bad thing to say about any of them. They are all from different parts with different personalities and backgrounds, but they are all damn good pilots and great instructors. Judging by what little I've seen and heard about Jacksonville, they are pretty picky about who they put in the offices, and it shows.
Right now there are about 10 ACPP students at GKY, with more on the way all the time. No one has washed out that I know of; after the face-to-face interview and written test, phone inerview and oral test, and shelling out 32 big ones pretty much all you have left over is people who are utterly committed to the program and work thier ass off.

Well, thats about it. If after wading through all my excessive parenthetical expression and misuse of semicolons you still have any questions, fire away- I'd be happy to answer.

--Jim
 
Re: Dallas location (Arlington)

[ QUOTE ]
Well, thats about it. If after wading through all my excessive parenthetical expression and misuse of semicolons you still have any questions, fire away- I'd be happy to answer.

--Jim

[/ QUOTE ]

Even though I wasn't the one asking for the info I'd like to say thanks! ATP has impressed me the most of all the schools I've contacted and it may take more than a year at this point for me to start there but there's a good chance I may just do that.

By the way, hats off for using the semicolon; it's a great part of English sentence structure and unfortunately greatly underutilized!
 
Re: Dallas location (Arlington)

So if I'm reading you correctly... Study like hell... get your written's out of the way early... and fly the crap out of the sim... and have fun!
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Sounds like a plan.

Jim, thanks for all the great info... I know I'll see you there. I just put in my two week notice at LL Bean in Freeport Maine, Wednesday... Moving day is end of May and then a final two week vacation in Maine ultimately ending in DFW to start our new lives.

Also thinking about getting the Citation Type Rating... what are your thoughts on that? On one hand I think it would be awesome and I have the funds available to do so, however, it may be too early in my "hours" phase to do me any good. Let me know.

Thanks,

Bob
 
Sorry I havent replied in so long! I've been in Atlanta getting my CAX and MEI tickets (what an epic), and havent been near a computer for any length of time.
As for the Citation rating-- I would hold off on that unless you have the money to spend and are pretty certain you will get a job flying Citations. The turbine time is great- even the 3 hours you get from the ACPP is a feather in your cap for getting hired somewhere- but a type rating is really only good if the company you plan to work for flies that particular aircraft. And if your logbook looks like mine (that is to say, the lower left number is much MUCH less than 1500...) then pretty much no one will let you near a turbofan.
Mind you, thats just my opinion, and one that has been somewhat colored by 'hangar talk' to which I seem to fall prey to regularly, my personality peing predisposed to naievite and gullibility. I would talk to as many people as you can about the topic though, and looking at the hiring mins for comapnies that fly that equipment-- corporate charter, fractional ownerships and the like. It may help your decision.

---Jimbo
 
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