Originally Posted by
Ray Blaszak
There is no difference at ATP in regards to the program except for price. If you look at the website you will see the self paced program is actually quite a bit more and you have to dedicate I think a minimum of ten days a month. I have been talking to some instructor's and they say lack of motivation on the student's part is the main reason why most students aren't happy or don't succeed. One instructor told me he literally had to force some students to read the material. I know when I was visiting JAX (CRG) that the instructors said all the students were complaining about not getting a day off and sometimes they had to force them to fly on Sunday to keep the schedule up to date. Why would you sign up for something like the ACPP than? I am speaking that a CRG both chief's force their instructor's to give ground school's when needed and when the instructor can't do it than the Chief's will do it for themselves. I never said it was going to be easy that's why 1.) I have done all my knowledge test prior to starting 2.) I have actually read the supplement front to back multiple times and have done the oral review 3.) have already came up with several ground schools and questions I already have. It's like any school in the military if you stay motivated and give it your all you'll succeed. If you lack motivation and don't want to put forth 100% effort all the time than ATP may not be for you. I know me personally need a structured program that will allow me to get my ratings fast. I don't care what they say no one can force me to take a checkride and I know personally that at JAX the instructors will not endorse a student until they know they are 100 percent ready. Again I am speaking for one location. With 26 locations theirs no way the owner and the chief pilot could possibly visit every location every day or week for that matter. I know they frequent JAX all the time since they are based out of there and that's the main reason why I chose that location in addition to actually being from Jax
Ray - you will see. Just wait, you will see. Maybe things are different in JAX, but the instructors elsewhere do not give a ****, they will sign you off ready or not, and the ground really varies based on instructor. Frankly, you don't really need ground with the video program they have on the Ipad and the airplane flying handbook/instrument flying handbook/PHAK, read all of that and you will be fine. What do you need an instructor to hold your hand for? But, if you have a question, they are usually happy to answer it.
Yes, you will need to pay extra for any extra flying, and the whole ATP program is set up with basically the absolute minimum amount of flying. Is it impossible? Nah, I only ended up buying a few extra hours, and I probably would have been okay even if I hadn't. But you have to take into account how little time you get, and really memorize and chair fly everything before you get in the plane so you don't waste any time. I knew only one self paced student, he ended up quitting his job so he could convert to full time because the self paced was going too slow and wasn't working out well.
Do I recommend the program? absolutely.. the positive aspects was one of my instructors who was just an awesome guy and really invested in your success, he would do whatever he could to help you and was a very smart guy (and he did do a lot of ground in the beginning). there was always a plane available (although the 172s are pretty beat to hell). they didn't get me done on time, my program ended up taking 5 months instead of 3, but some of that was due to the holidays and just being at a small location that didn't have enough instructors and then times not lining up with CFI school, so yeah. ATP gets you done, and you spend most of your time in the seminole getting valuable multi.