Can somebody explain to me why anybody would even consider and why they are actually attending airline academies? If you do the math going to a regular mom and pop flight school will cost you about 22,250($90x250 hours), add the instructor at the most $4000, it comes to less than 30K. All the academies that I've seen these days are at the least 40K, some go as high as 100K

ATP is even worse as far as value and it seems like they are the most successful. 200 hours of multi for 45K? That equals to 225 per hour. Go to a regular mom and pop school and a Seminole+ the instructor will be cheaper than that. You can emulate the whole ATP program at your mom and pop school for cheaper. Not to mention you still need a private license at ATP and there are living expenses and other little things that will inflate that 45 to over 50K. What is going on? Is a glossy brochure with airline logos with smiling pilots in their Barby jets all that it takes?

 

I was talking to one of my students whose parents decided to send him to ATP. He was saying that the 40K includes room and board as well as other things in addition to flight training. He also told me that it was a fixed price. But then again, this is all heresay from a 19 year old college student.

ATP talks a good game, but to me it sounds like a certificate mill.

 

ATP is all inclusive. You have to pay the examiner fees for the checkrides.

The fixed price, time, CFI oportunities , and ME time are their big selling point.

IHMO, ATP is your best bet for pilot training.

My recommendation to anyone considering an aviation career is to complete a 4 year college degree at a state school. Have some fun , enjoy the college life then spend your time/money at ATP for your ratings.

Save as much as you can while in college to help pay the loan at ATP.

-LAFF

 

Well put!

 

Fixed price? Who cares it's still very expensive. CFI oportunities? For multi time you have a point but a CFI job is easy to get anywhere. ME time? You can do the whole training in ME time and come out cheaper at your local school.

Save money to pay loan at ATP? No kidding!

 

The big schools offer two things...

Legitimately, they offer one-stop-shopping for an approximate price. They may also offer employment as a CFI, but often this a sham since they hire ALL graduates you just end up sitting around all month with no pay to maybe do one disco flight...

Not-so-legitimately, they offer the ILLUSION of a large, well-funded, well-organized professional institution that OBVIOUSLY provides a better product than that little school based in the trailer on the far side of the home patch. Students (and their parents) are often totally clueless about aviation and don't realize that for 1/3 the cost the guy in the trailer can get the same (or better) job done ...not to mention his brother flies for FDX and will walk your sh*t in when the time comes...

 

I agree, rickair7777 if anything these guys should consider what lies ahead after training, the glamorous life of a regional pilot. Where finding a dollar on the street may make you feel like the luckiest person in the world. Saving as much as 20k on training makes a big difference the first couple of years as a reg pilot so that maybe you can afford to eat out once every 3 months.

 

Some offer reduced hiring minimums. If your goal is to be an airline pilot, get there as fast as you can.

 

While you bring up a good point, I think you actually fingered the whole problem with this industry. "Get there as fast as you can" is a theory that has probably brought about the ruin of many good people. This frame of mind makes smart people do some incredibly stupid things, i.e Go-Jets. It is the same mindset that allows the Great Lakes of the world (I dont have anything their pilots) to pay the basement rate that they do. We have lost the power to negotiate because of this theory. It allows the Regional Airline Academies of the world to charge 100K to get you your ratings in 18 months, with the carrot dangling in front of the professional jet job, while you get hit with the stick when you can no longer afford to do your job because you cant pay the loans. Just my thoughts.

 

How many "mom & pop" outfits have loans, student loans, financing available? That could do it for me. If you don't have the cash, you gotta borrow.

I've done mom & pop outfits and larger Part 141 schools. I've seen good and bad in both. The trick is to find a great instructor at a fair price. Your big name school instructor could suck and so could pop. It's up to you to find a good one. The same school has good and bad instructors. Your the boss (it's your money), so fire your bad instructor and get a new one.