Not that the Hen needs anybody defending his position, but the truth is, you can tell pretty quickly if something works or does not work for you. Think about it, you know pretty much on a first date if the guy or gal sitting across from you is going to work for just tonight, two months or forever. You can tell at a job interview if the corporate culture of the company you are interviewing with is one that matches your needs. Frequently, we make the decision to continue something out of fear of admitting we were wrong. Think about that girl (or guy) you dated for too long because you did not want to admit “it just did not work.” Or the job you took, despite reservations, that made you miserable. I applaud the Hen’s decision, early in his professional training, to have the balls to say “this is not for me.” And, yes, a CFI can tell if a person has what it takes to be a pilot. As an instructor in another part of the business, I can tell right away much of the time, if my student has what it takes. I fully trust that the Hen could ascertain that this, for the reasons he has so well put forth, did not work for him.
ATP’s program is very formulaic. They are teaching you to be a first officer at “insert name of regional airline here.” I had a very good Captain explain to me that the role of the Captain, in addition to the ongoing management of any given flight and actual flight duties, is that of instructor. They are continually training the person sitting next to them. The hiring teams at the regional airlines know that. ATP knows that. With that knowledge, ATP’s program has flourished. The regional’s ability to hire zero to hero pilots has flourished.
That said, if you are the right kind of person, ATP’s program is an excellent one.
There are a variety of reasons a program may not work for a person. Some have said, in other threads, that those who fail out or quit “do not have what it takes.” That’s not such a bad thing. They may not have what it takes for ATP, but they may have what it takes for another program, someplace else. Some folks make it at Harvard, others are better suited to a state university, others may have more success at a small college. It takes courage to admit something does not work. It takes humility and introspection to fail, dust yourself off and figure out a way to make it work.
For others, they want more out of aviation than just a right seat at COEX. ATP’s program is not going to work for you either. If you are singularly focused on the right seat, have $40 grand to spend, then, by all means go for ATP. If you have the ability to give up maybe two years (private, ACPP, CFI, initial at airline, IOE) of your life, then go for it. But be clear that you can do that. For many, that’s not what they want. They need health insurance, they have family commitments, they need to have an income to pay the bills, they do not want to live in a “fraternity house” setting for months on end. Heck, they may just want a day off!
Some folks need more structure. Not everybody can self teach. Not everybody should. Some pilots needs more hands on training, a little camaraderie, a syllabus to plan their studies or just a little hand holding. Some people look for professionalism in their training environment. Some people look for a little depth. Some people have a thirst for knowledge and want to know everything there is to learn about flying. If that is you, ATP will not be for you.
ATP has trained hundreds and hundreds of professional pilots who are plying the skies at all levels of the industry. They know what they are doing, but they are not for everybody. Forums such as this are where those with negative experiences can come together with those who have had a great experience and share their views. The outcome, hopefully, will be more fully informed student pilots who will perhaps not repeat the mistakes of others – or better still, duplicate the success of others.
