Originally Posted by
chignutsak
ATP trains you to pass the checkrides with handpicked examiners. Period. Everything else is pretty much self-taught. I will agree with another poster who said the IFR X-C portion is where a lot of it comes together. Not sure sure you could as easily replicate that type of multi-experience at an FBO. Understand that during that phase you have two guys logging PIC at the same time. Some may frown upon that time at a later interview...
And most people(nearly half) bust the first time through. And if you double bust, your out. The examiners still have to go through the same steps that every examiner has to go through to become an examiner. They are not hand picked, false. They are not on a contract that says they can only examine with ATP either. But they do have to sign a contract that says they will adhear to ATP's procedures.