ATP Flight School
 

http://www.atpflightschool.com/index.html

Checked out their website. If you can get a cosigner seems like a viable option to get into the cockpit of a CRJ/Dash within a short amount of time. Any advice on this? I tried to search but didnt find anything. I would assume there is some information about reviews or how realistic this is. I am thinking about relocating for this after getting off the phone with them. Has anyone graduated from there here in the forums?

Thanks

:eek:

I search for titles containing 'ATP' in the Flight School and Training forum ONLY and came up with 150 threads!

USMCFLYR

Well first, understand that getting in to the Cockpit of a CRJ/Dash 8 will no longer be quick. By August of 2013 you will need 1500 hours flying time minimum to qualify. The airlines have already begun raising the minimums. The days of fast tracking to a regional are over.

The flight time is usually attained by Flight instructing and other General Aviation flying.

The whole "Guaranteed flight instructor job" at ATP is no longer in effect. When I talked to them a couple of months ago, the person i spoke to who finished the program had to wait 4 months just to get called back. Then you answer phones while you do the CFI standardization checks (to make sure you can fly to test standards) then you go to a place that needs instructors.

If you start from 0 time. I read the price is $74,990. That is A LOT of money. With interest, it will be over $100,000 to pay back. Thats 1000 dollars A MONTH!! Excluding the tuition to get your 4 year degree. And you don't even qualify for the regionals yet.

Also, do you have a degree? If not, you wont get past the regional level unless you have some serious connections (dad is the Chief Pilot, etc)

What I suggest, if you don't have your degree yet, go to a local four year university (or at least community college to start) and work/fly on the side. Get a marketable degree, (IT, Math, Science, business) don't get one in aviation. The degree doesn't matter, just having it is what matters. The airlines will still be there when you are done.

There is talk about a pilot shortage because of retirements, but take it with a grain of salt.


Hope this helps.

I realized i was actually using the incorrect search box...Im not on my laptop so the tiny Search icon on the blue bar was missed. The one i was using was basically google results which isn't what I wanted.

*the sarcasm wasn't necessary.

Thank you very much for the advice. That is certainly something to ponder about. Because relocating for that and not even being able to be a CFI right away makes me step back and think about that which never crossed my mind!

Go to an FBO and get your Private before you commit to over 100 grand in debt.

No sarcasm.
More disbelief.
I'm a moderator. It is my job to point out the search function.
It is also my job to try and keep every swinging person from coming on with XX posts and posting a question that has already been asked and answered 100 times in the last few months probably.
Try not to be so sensitive and you might find this forum to be a very useful place.

USMCFLYR

+1 from a guy who did all of that. The 1500 hour requirement makes ATP a non-starter unless you have the money sitting around.

DON'T FINANCE AVIATION EDUCATION. That said, feel free to finance an airplane to learn in!

Just to add to what others have said (because they are all right):


1. The backlog at ATP standardizations is 8 months and growing. CFIs aren't leaving because there are 5-10 at each location, some aren't flying much, some are flying 60 hours a month, but they all start instructing at 250 hours and have to get to 1,500, if jobs are available then, which they probably won't be.

2. The country is steadily running out of instructing jobs. There already weren't that many jobs instructing anyway, and now there's no growth out.

3. There won't be a pilot shortage any time soon for many reasons.

4. If you want to be a pilot, jump in. The water's frigid. I'm here because I love it. I'd still be here if the water got even more cold. It's what I've always wanted to do and always will as long as I can. Just don't do this because it seems like something to do or you think you might make some decent money at it.

I looked at ATP a few months ago but realized that $64,000 from 0 to CFI is WAY too much money.

They advertise $59,999 but you still have to add about $4,000 for "examiners fees"...so $64,000 it is. What do you end up with??? 220 hours of actual flight time.

So this is what I suggest.

You can go from 0 to Commercial in under 1/2 that cost.

I'll use what i'm doing for an example.

Right now I fly out of APA. I found a CFI who is available full-time and knock out my ratings by flying every day.

C-172 cost = $95 (roughly)
Piper Warrior cost = $90 (roughly)
Multi engine BE-95 Travelair = $190 (roughly)

CFI cost = $35 per hour

PPL cost...

Flight hours = 40 x $95 (C172) = $3,800
CFI for 40 hours = $35 x 40 = $1,400
Books + Checkride = $700

Total PPL cost = $5,900

Time building from 40 hours to 80 hours = $95 x 40 = $3,800

Instrument rating....

40 hours in the Warrior = $90 x 40 = $3,600
40 hours with a CFI = $35 x 40 = $1,400
Books + Checkride = $700
Total instrument = $5,700

Multi-engine rating...

10 hours in the Travelair = $190 x 10 = $1,900
10 hours with a CFI = $35 x 10 = $350
Books + Checkride = $600
Total Multi = $2,850

Timebuild to get you from 130 to 150 in a C172 = $95 x 20 = $1,900
timebuild to get you from 150 to 240 in the Travelair = $190 x 90 = $17,100 (this can be cut in 1/2 if you're willing to fly with someone else and log "hood" time and "safety pilot" time)

Commercial AMEL....

10 hours in the Travelair = $190 x 10 = $1,900
15 hours with a CFI = $35 x 15 = $475
Total Commercial = $2,375

Total cost:

PPL = $5,900
Instrument = $5,700
Multi = $2,850
Commercial = $2,375
Time-building = $22,800

Total cost = $39,625

Total hours = 250 (100 Multi)


Like I said...at ATP most of the time building in the Multi is shared time...here you're actually flying the plane yourself. you can share time here and save $9,500 if you want.

In the above scenario you end up with 30 more flight hours, you don't have your CFI (it's not that expensive) but you save about $25,000.

Do you see how ATP is making loads of $$$$ off of people?