Calpilot is right...At least you made the right decision to attend ATP. Which location? Sac? Don't look back now - just work at ATP -get your ME time and apply to the regionals. Girfriends come and go...I should know I lost one in the WTC. I found another one that walked away and across the Brooklyn bridge that morning...Life is full of surprises...

_LAFF

Consequences
 

Calcapt,

I hate to contradict your brilliant post, however it is often the case that famous people in history lead train wreck personal lives. It demands a high price to achieve greatness. People need to realize what they will have to give up in order to become a Ben Franklin or Abe Lincoln. The 9 to 5 stooge gets a lot in return for supplanting a few dreams. The pain of a failed dream will fade over time however a failed life will haunt you to the grave.

In my opinion often the pursuit of youthful frivolous dreams is natures way of culling the herd.

SkyHigh

Do you get a commission from ATP? In all of your post's you mention ATP but have not yet told me why I should attend ATP & not learn from the FBOs!

No - nothing from ATP...Research their product and search for them on this and other forums. Their product stands on its own merit.

-LAFF

Out of all of the big schools, ATP seems to do a decent job of entry-level training without ripping you off.

But before you relocate to one of their facilities, do check your local FBO's...if you can live at home, do your training, and get a cfi job at the local patch that may be a better option. You have to be careful, there are a few great FBO's/local schools and a whole bunch of not-so-great ones.

I have done a little research (more to do before I decide) & I'm not knocking them, but I still don't understand how they would be any better to go to ATP then it would an FBO. Learning is learning correct? I'm not saying that the FBOs are better… I don’t have the slightest clue… Just yesterday I didn’t even know what "FBO" was. I'm just trying to get someone to tell me why he or she thinks ATP is better then FBOs or any other school for that matter.

I met CFIs at FBOs that had been at it for years. This was not in small town america but in the SF bay area. In fact, my CFI when I did my PPL had a little over 1,000 hours after 6 years trying to make it...I should say he didn't play his cards right and refused to move / relocate to an area where he could build more time. He basically gave up on aviation and is now a cop. He dreams of one day making it to the departments helicopter ops division.

As always, R777, says it better than I could. I'm bringing emotion into it...

Sincerely,
LAFF

ATP is NOT for everybody. I myself know that I dont learn that fast. No way I could get a CFI, II, and MEI in 14 days.
Ther eare very good FBO's out there. AL FBO's are not created equal. AL FBO's do not have depressed CFI's. Find a flight school or find an older experienced CFI that enjoys teaching people to fly. They are the best

Still not sure
 

Let me ask you guys this. How many of you (airlines pilots/ex-airline pilots) found out after following your dreams to become a pilot that your dream was ruined by the low pay and lack of time with your family. I mean I love flying but I'm afraid that going into debt and living in poverty for the next 4 years will turn flying into a bad dream.


This statement might be out of line but being a former manager of over 50 employees why don't the pilots get rid of the unions? Is competition for jobs so bad that they have to lock in low pay rates. Does airline management put down pilots that much. Not to be a union basher. It just seems to me that a pilot that puts over $50,000 into training on top of a college education and then operates one of the most complicated pieces of machinery that man can develope, along with holding the lives of all his passangers in his hands should make more money then a high school drop out. Or am I wrong? Do pay rates increase fast after the 1st year and you can afford to support your self?

I'm just looking for some input. If seems very foggy to me how people are surviving and why don't pilots demand to get paid accordingly for the highly professional jobs they do?