I got my PPL at a mom and pop’s flight school, then went through ATP’s “credit private” program from Mar 2022-Oct 2022. I turned around and instructed at the same ATP location from Oct 2022-Mar 2024. I’ve got a lot of opinions and there are a lot of variables that will determine whether you have a successful time at ATP or a horror story. I will say in general, our most successful students were usually in their mid-20s. The ones that had just come out of college and decided to jump into aviation. But there were also exceptions.

Your flying skills will be developed well, but I think I saw maybe 25% of the students who joined the program actually leave successfully with all 7 ratings. I would say around 70% left with at least Instrument Commercial Multi and Single, but no instructor ratings, and then about 5% washed out entirely with nothing but debt. Bottom line, If you start to struggle at ATP, you’re more than likely going to be left in the dust. It requires a lot of self-determination and self-study and the ability to hold yourself accountable for the knowledge that you need to be building along the way. ATP doesn’t really teach you ground knowledge even though they claim to.

My personal experience was that I absolutely loved my time there as a student (I started at 26 y/o). My instructors were cool, I worked my tail off, and it was the first time in my life where every day that I woke up, I went and did something in aviation surrounded by other student pilots, mechanics, airport employees, charter pilots, DPEs, etc. and it provided an atmosphere that motivated me. A lot of Part 61 schools don’t really have an atmosphere whatsoever. You show up, fly, then go home. After the program, however, I did not in any way enjoy working for ATP, but that’s a whole different topic and too long to post about.