Questions about ATP

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Guest
Hey yall,
just saw an ad for ATP in AOPA. Wondering what the total cost of the career pilot program is. Not advertised but actual and also how is the housing? does it cost anything? how is the school and how long does it take? Are people getting hired right now?

Appreciate it
 
All you had to do was go to the website, anyway its 32,000 for the fast track program. You need a 2 year degree and your PPL. I might be wrong on this but I think you need 80 TT. As for housing its included with the price. But you have to find your own transportation. The program is 3 months long.
 
85TT and 25hrs x-country, first class medical two years of college (or equivalent). 90 days for $31,995 + $2400 for examiners fees. They also have a PPL course in 60 days to meet the prerequisites for the fast track program for $4995.
All fees include housing, written exams, manuals, training syllabus x-country charts and plates.
ATP's web site
 
Does it work out as it is published?
It seems awefully fast and awefully cheap
 
How do you figure its cheap, lets take a look here. 32,000, you need 85TT, 25 cross country. So thats about 7-8,000 more. Then you need a 2 year degree. That cost money too. Plus that price doesnt 2,400 for test fees. So your talking 45,000 to go to the shcol when all is said and done. If you ask me its like the same price as any other big flight school out there.
 
... except you should have your degree if you have any plans of being an airline pilot of any kind, housing/car rental on XC trrips is included in the price, you need the 25 XC PIC to meet the ticket times anyway and having 85 hrs in a plane makes for a better student on the Seminole, you're flying a twin almost the entire time, you get jet training/hands-on time, and you do it in less than 90 days. Can't do that anywhere else.

The examiner's fees do knock it up a bit- but it is still cheap.

They offer a "Qualifier" pilot program for 4995, which takes you from zero to 85 in a 172, but you can only do it in conjunction with the ACPP.

Incidentally, you need 2 years of college or equivalent to start the program
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Plus, you can go instruct for them when you're done. Grabbing that multi time at 65-80 hours a month is pretty cool.
 
I am not sure that answers my question. I have a four year degree and a pilots license. I am wondering if people end up with horrendous cost overages like at other schools and whether most people actually get done in the time frame advertised.
I know what the advertisments say but does it actually work out the way it is published in real life?

you know how some flightschools publish totally bogus figures to entice students and you find out once your bound the way it really is.
 
I'm sorry- you're right, I didn't answer very well at all.

The $31,995 is fixed, period. If you bust a ride and need more training, you aren't charged for the training. You do have to pay every time for an examiner though, which is why that price isn't advertised. It's an average of 300 per checkride, across seven licenses.

It is strictly fixed, too- whether you use the housing at your base or not, the price stays the same.

Hope that answers your question a little better.

Z
 
fukoki,

i'll second what whas just posted. i just finished up with ATP not too long ago and completed a few weeks prior to the advertised 90 days, and underbuget due to an FAA checkride for CFI. the biggest issue with the program is that you have to know what you're getting yourself into. there's no shortcut to all the info that you have to soak up and that's why they want people who have had ~85 hours to do some xc on their own, get comfortable flying and really assess whether they're ready for the pace... not to mention the need to meet commercial hour requirements. you've got to be willing to live flying 7 days a week (with a few breaks here and there) and you can't beat the fact that the sim is readily available for extra practice, and that you can review whatever/whenever with the instructors because noone's paid by the clock. it's not spoon fed, but if you're expecting that, you can't seriously expect to complete 7 checkrides in 90 days. a key for me was doing much reading and preparing for the program before actually starting. I had the time, so i took most of the written exams a few weeks before (& got refunded), and read through much of the stack of books they ship to you, esp. the jepp comm/inst. and the seminole books. it's not necessary, but it does help very much to take a dive into the ocean of instrument procedure info early on. personally i had a blast. i was able to take a few days off here and there, did some great trips during the xc phase including a coast-coast, and felt well prepared for all my checkrides. besides, you can't beat being employable in 3 months. i found the program to be honest and straightforward and highly recommend it if you're prepared to put in a solid effort for 3 months. hope the info helps.
 
Thanks for the bit on ATP...
I'm considering ATP, largely due to the opportunity to instruct there after finishing the program, so I can build up multi time. What are you doing now....are you instructing for them? If not, what can you tell me, realisticly, about how many of their grads they hire on as instructors. Any other insight on the program would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Fukoki,
As others have pointed out, the price is fixed. There are no added costs anywhere in the program. The only 'variable' is the examiner cost, depending on where you take the checkrides and if you bust a ride or two or not.
I paid $31,995, my partner in the program paid $31,995, everyone else I shared my time in Phoenix with paid $31,995, Socal and Sig (Here on the BB) paid $31,995, and not a dime more. (As said before; Exluding examiners.)
I can get you telephone numbers to former students who are not working for ATP if you need un-biased confirmation on this.
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If you are lazy or otherwise unwilling to work hard you may be booted, and be refunded anything you've paid that hasn't already been spent on training, however more or less /anyone/ who work hard and apply themselves will be able to pass this program, without having to pay a dime more than the adverticed price.

The key, as Sig and I and others have pointed out before, is a willingness to make an effort.
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And I belive someone asked about the percentage of graduates that are hired after program completion; I don't have an exact percentage, but to put it another way; Everyone who passes the program and makes an ok impression during their stay with ATP gets hired. I still haven't talked to anyone who passed the program and wanted to work for ATP who wasn't hired after program completion.

Cheers,
Helge
 
What do you mean your "partners" cost? Are you flying one on one with an instructo or do you have a partner with your lessons. Please explain.
 
<<And I belive someone asked about the percentage of graduates that are hired after program completion; I don't have an exact percentage, but to put it another way; Everyone who passes the program and makes an ok impression during their stay with ATP gets hired. I still haven't talked to anyone who passed the program and wanted to work for ATP who wasn't hired after program completion.>>

I posted that question: Today when speaking to someone at the 800 # I asked him what his partner was doing since graduation. He said he applied and is still waiting for a job. Graduation was 6 weeks ago. That doesn't mean his partner applied himself but I did get the impression he wants employment and didn't get the offer. Either way, I am in it for the training and if I can get hired it will be a BIG BONUS for my efforts <font color="blue"> </font color> !
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You have to keep in mind too that upon graduation from ATP...to instruct for them, you have to be willing to relocate to ANY of their 20+ locations to receive a job. You may get an offer, but if you're unwillnig to relocate, you will either not get a job or wait for a longer time than you would otherwise if you had just gone where they needed someone.

Steve
 
Figuring out exactly what determines when someone gets hired has proved to be an equation impossible to figure out, despite valiant attempts from all of us who've been through the process.
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SoCal was hired one week after completion of the program, it took me 8 weeks to get the phonecall from the big cahuna, it took about 10 weeks for my partner to get the call, it took one of the guys I was in the office with almost 6 months to get the call...
But they've all gotten the call, sooner or later.

And not sure I understood your question, blue250..

Cheers,
Helge
 
Bluetooth, I believe I can explain. Everyone pays a fee to go to ATP. That cost is the 31,995K figure quoted earlier. You fly with a partner all the way through the program or at least on a majority of it. Apparently you get some initial one on one instruction but you do your x-c's with an instructor in the back and you and your partner each fly up front. For a more thorough explaination to possibly your next question of logging PIC, do a search and you will find a long debate over it.
 
Better do a little more detailed explanation, before we're accused of 'instructing with instructor in the back seat'.
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As an ACP program student you may (or may not) be paired up with another student for your program.
If you are, all your instruction is still done one on one with your instructor. Your partner may, from time to time, back seat to observe and learn that way, but mostly you fly with your instructor only. This is for the preparation of your ME Private addon, instrument ticket, commercial tickets, as well as the addons for your instructor ticket. This also includes several cross countries in preparation for both your instrument check ride and commercial checkride.

Once you are done with your ME Private pilot addon and your instrument rating you and your partner (Or some other ACP pilot if you're going through the program alone) have a phase that lasts for about 3 weeks where you fly a lot of X-C flying.
The two of you fly alone, there is no instructor aboard, there is no instruction involved.
This phase is used for two important things; First and foremost to build experience. You have no idea how much experience you really gain from this phase before you've been through it. Dinking around at your local airports is one thing, but flying half way across the nation, in all sorts of weather builds experience you can't get locally.
The second purpose of this phase is to build time so you'll be eligible for your commercial rating.

So in short, aside from this 3 week portion where you and your partner fly cross countries by yourselves, all flying is more or less done one on one with your instructor.

Perhaps this'll clear up a little.
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Cheers,
Helge
 
Alderson, Thanks for the clarification. I had it wrong but I am more excited about ATP knowing what you just said.

Paul
 
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