airplane401

I'm currently a CFI and was wondering if there was anyway I could qualify for R-ATP (1250 hour) even though I did my training at a local FBO? If I went to get an aviation degree, is there a place that could accept my licenses and ratings?

rickair7777

No.

You have to do your training at the university's 141 program while getting the degree there. Applies to both 4-year and 2-year degrees.

kingsnake2

This. You'll just need to knock out your hours now. If you're looking for a place to instruct, US Aviation Academy is hiring.

walker0789

I'm curious about a similar situation. I have an ERAU degree (Pro Aero) from 2006 that is on the FAA's approved R-ATP list, but I got it at their worldwide locations. Now I'm doing my training with UND in Phoenix. They are both colleges that have approved plans and the flight training is approved for the R-ATP and the degree is also, but ERAU said it doesn't count unless I flight train through them. What gives?

rickair7777

You can go read the FARs but the intent and language is that you do the training and degree as a single integrated program. They didn't build in any waivers for special cases like yours and the schools have little or no discretion on that. Best you could hope for is to get a lot of transfer credit from your previous program and then complete another degree with UND while doing their flight program. But that probably wouldn't be worth it, doubt they'd give you credit for more than maybe 50%. Faster and cheaper to just CFI to get the extra 500 hours.

JohnBurke

It's only 1,500 hours, for god's sake. 1,500 hours!

Is this really such a burden?

The sense of entitlement today is mind boggling. Get the ******* 1,500 hours and go get hired somewhere, so the world won't need to listen to you whine.

155mm

You can qualify for an R-ATP with 1500 hours and age 21!

walker0789

That's pretty much what I figured, unfortunately.

walker0789

John, it is a burden. I'm 40 years old so I'm not getting any younger and wasting 6 months of the 25 years of commercial airline flying time I have left until mandatory retirement is equivalent to wasting about $125,000. Also, I wasn't whining nor seeking entitlement, but asking a question. It is disappointing having an aviation education and collegiate flight training but not being credited for it the same as those with equivalent training.

JohnBurke

If getting to the bare minimum for Airline Transport Pilot (for those seeking to fly for the airlines) is a burden, then this industry may not be for you.

Opportunities have never been so great, advancement so fast, hiring so intensive, and the entry pay so good, and yet the difference between 1200 hours and 1500 hours is a "burden."

It's a drop in the bucket. You flight instruct for a few months and never think about it again.

The rest of us have all been there, passed through it, moved on...many of us in times when no one would talk to you without at least your ATP written passed, and usually at least 2,500 hours or more. So another kid gets in ahead of you by a couple of months. It really isn't a big deal.

I get messages constantly from posters here asking how they can bypass instructing, rush to the head of the line as fast as possible. Nearly each one says the same thing; my case is unique, I'm different. I can't wait that long. I shouldn't have to. I have a degree. Big deal. It grates on some of us who spent fifteen years getting to the point of being able to fly turbine equipment, let alone go play big-shiny-jet. Cool your jets and rethink that "burden."

That's a hundred twenty five grand you haven't got, mate, because you're not qualified. Don't go counting unhatched chicks. If you really see a few months of flight instructing (or towing banners or tossing jumpers or whatever you end up doing) as "wasted," you may truly be in the wrong profession.