Here are a few key points I want to make.

1. You can get your training as fast (or faster) at a local FBO than you can at ATP.

There is no secret as to how ATP trains people so fast. All you do is fly a lot. You can fly as often as you want at an FBO too. The nice part is YOU are in control of your schedule. If you want to fly your butt off one week, and take the weekend off the next week, you can do that. At ATP, you are on THEIR schedule. You cannot make that choice. You can get all your ratings in under 5 months at a local FBO, you just have to fly everyday.

2. ATP costs about $30,000 more than most local FBO's!

$30,000 is a big deal to most people. It should be to you too. At ATP, it costs $64,000 to get all your licenses and ratings. At a local FBO with reasonable rates, it should cost about $35,000 to get all your licenses and ratings. If you don't believe me, PM me aircraft rates, instructor costs, and any joining/member fees, and I will give you a very accurate budget. Think of all the things you could buy with the $30,000 you saved by not going to ATP. ATP is just expensive brand named flight training. It is no better than any local FBO, in fact it is probably lower quality. Don't waste $30,000.

3. The quality of instruction at ATP is probably not as good as the instruction you get at a local FBO

This varies person to person, flight school to flight school. But allow me to point out some general trends. At ATP, they train you just enough to pass the checkride. By going so fast, there is no way you absorbed everything you were supposed to learn.

The instructors at ATP may not be the best either. ATP's program is designed for brand new instructors to come in, teach for a few months, and then move on. No one stays at ATP as a career instructor. So you do not have the benefit of their extensive experience. Doing my training at a local FBO, almost all of my instruction has been with instructors who have had more than 10,000 hours. Go into ATP and tell them you want an instructor with just 2,000 hours. They will laugh at you. At a local FBO, you have a much better chance of getting an instructor who has been around the block a few times. Learning from experience is one of the best and most valuable ways to learn. Period. At ATP, there is a damn good chance your instructor (the person entrusted with your safety, and the person directly responsible for your learning) had never touched an airplane 6 months ago!! That's just the way it is.
If you truly want to get the most out of your training, you should get an experienced instructor at a local FBO.

4. Airlines do not care where you got your training from
With the way regional airlines are hiring, there is no big advantage getting training from ATP. That RJ standards course is not required, and it is just a waste of $6,000. None of the good regional airlines (ExpressJet, Horizon, Republic, and Skywest) will lower their minimums even 1 hour because you have this unnecessary course.


Going to ATP will not let you get ahead anymore than someone else who trained fast at their local FBO.

I hope you make the right decision for yourself, ATPwannabe!
You know where I (and most everyone else on this board stand).
Good luck.