Firstly, I have serious doubts this guy's been with the FAA long enough to have been involved with every reg there is.
Secondly, who cares if he's memorized the FAR? All that means is that he's got too much time on his hands - NOT that he's a better pilot for it.

I had a couple of co-workers who went to ATP for the CFI, they both said that they wished it had been more like how we train here (university 141). They had to learn everything before going, then got no advice on teaching. So they had to really bite the bullet their first semesters of instructing. In contrast, the university's program involves teaching every ground subject. We don't get lectured, we're expected to teach the subject and then get pointers on dealing with students.

If you're at UND, then, I'd also agree they turn out a great CFI.

I once did a 152 checkout with a UND guy who, I swear, must have never flown a Cessna before. He was all over the place. But, from the beginning of the "interview", it was plain that he was well prepared as a CFI. Much better than an ATP or FBO CFI would be.

At the same time, it's still a license to learn. You can go from min standards to a pretty good CFI in 200 hours. It's just sad that, at ATP, about the time you get competent, you're long gone for the regionals while leaving it up to the 90 day wonder to step up.

Of course, this is the stated intent of ATP, to get you to a regional at min time no matter what and at any cost.

does anyone know about ATP's saftey record? ...just curious

It's ok to doubt but it's true.

ATP Trust me isn't worried about these Forums..... They're going to Continue to get students Regardless. POINT BLANK. I'm here because I was tired of reading people talk bad about A school that they've never been to. But their exprience qualifies them to know???:rolleyes:

So you've checked out ATP CFIs too??? PLEASE do me a favor, STOP commenting on things If you haven't done them. Just like me saying flying the 757/767 for UPS is the worst job in the world! I don't know that I can't even speak on it. (now say something about my TT.)

Safe as any other flight schools out there, even those that send their CFIs to school for 2semesters or not. Safety record is SPOTLESS.

Well, let's see here...
The FAA was created in 1958. If this instructor you speak of has been involved in writing regulations since the birth of the FAA, that would mean he's had almost a 50-year career thus far.
Of course, we all know that the FAA was pre-dated by the CAA - and so were some of the laws under which we now fly. The CAA was split from the CAB in 1940, which means that your man would have had a 60+ career thus far (at an absolute minimum).
Just how old is this guy, hm?

The typical FAR book published by ASA gets 25 pages thicker every year, on average.

As far as pilot mill CFIs...a flight school I previously instructed at wouldn't hire any wet-ticket CFIs from Comair Academy, FSI, or ATP due to previous bad experiences. I was witness to the interview that caused this policy - I have never seen somebody hold a pilot certificate that was so wholly unprepared and uneducated as to the tasks and responsibilities of the job they were interviewing before. Not saying that all folks that come from those schools can't teach, but its not out of line to say that schools like that aren't there to teach you how to teach, they're there to get you a certificate, and ultimately, an airline job.

FWIW, I might have attended Purdue but I did all my CFI tickets through an FBO twice as fast and half the price of any university program. I taught at Purdue and elsewhere 61 and also was a 141 check instructor at the aforementioned flight school. I challenge anybody to tell me that my instruction was inferior to someone else's simply because of where they learned.

Negative on UND. I'm at MTSU. But its fairly similar concept. You definitely gain a lot of skill in the first 200 dual given. I do think it helps that the lessons I had were dedicated to learning to teach and deal with students (both the ones who didn't understand the first time, and the ones who don't listen).

I work with CAP cadets, a organizationcalled ACE and OBAP summer camps.

I think you canbe taugt to be a good CFI. Learning the fundamentals of teaching (levels of learning, principles of learning, Evaluating students, developng lesson plans) These are skills that need to be taught. You just cant just jump in their and start teaching. Youhave to understand human behavior and that people learn at different rates and at different levels. Its not as easy as passing an FOI 60 question test

ACE and OBAP.... I'm a member of OBAP and I think you're doing a great thing teaching for ACE... .Wish you the best, sir. Do what you think will greater benefit you! If that's ATP then don't let the people on here stop you from going. If it isn't that's fine too, just do what's best for you..... For me ATP was the best for me, I wasn't getting any younger I received the financing so here I am. Don't let people tell you what Can't happen or what's not possible. Remember the Tuskegee airman? People said that it couldn't happen, they NEVER lost a bomber! So don't let people discourage you or tell you what can't happen. Prove them wrong.... OBAP is a great organization if you're attending the conference this year in Houston I'd love to meet you and talk.