jhfisk

I went to ATP at LGB, and I had a good experience. I had my private when I started there a year and a half ago (which I believe they now require), and the instructor I was paired with was one of the more senior guys there, he was very good.

As the previous poster mentioned, LGB was a little daunting at first because I got my private at a rural uncontrolled field. There's definitely a lot going on and it's not uncommon to experience some level of delay trying to get in the air.

As I stated it's been over a year since I finished with ATP, so I can't say if the conditions are still the same. I keep in touch with some people who are working for them and they have told me that things are changing and a couple have even quit and gone elsewhere. I think it has had to do with management changes and the company having too many instructors for the number of students.

I didn't end up working for them for other reasons, but I am now instructing at LGB anyway at a different flight school.

CBreezy

I would stay away from that place. The instructors are underpaid. They aren't given the proper resources to do their jobs. They often only have time to get you "checkride ready" as the standard instead of teaching techniques that will benefit you down the road in your aviation career. There are plenty of programs around the country that will teach you how to be a pilot, not just pass a checkride.

767pilot

If you go to allATP (or any 141), does it give you a break on the 1500 hour atp requirement or is that only through colleges?

FlyingStormie

ATP doesn't require the PPL before starting, but they do have a track for those with the PPL and at least 80hrs total time.


While I can't say if they truly are/are not underpaid, they do have less control over their schedules than their counterparts at an FBO or Flying Club. The flip side of that is having your students assigned to you rather than waiting until they find you could be advantageous.

One of the CFIs that I flew with at the Club I joined was a former ATP student and Instructor. The only negative thing he had to say about his time there was that they sent him, as a CFI, to Portland and he didn't fly very much due to weather. He left as he got tired of waiting to transfer to Denver.


Going to ATP doesn't make you eligible for the "restricted" ATP. In short, it's only available to Military Aviators and graduates of approved collegate degree/training programs.

The 1500 Hour Rule - Restricted ATP Requirements for First Officers | Boldmethod

CBreezy

I can tell you they are woefully underpaid. I worked at a different flight school and made twice-three times more than my friends answering phones in JAX waiting for their standards ride.

Pedro4President

So you got paid 2-3 times as much as someone answering a phone??

JetBlueNewb

Restricted ATP gets 1250 for Associates or 1000 for Bachelors but it must be an aviation degree granting institution (i.e. Embry Riddel...etc) that are approved by the FAA.

CBreezy

Base pay is base pay. And instead of putting their instructors through training, they had them man the phones. Instead, I went to a real flight school and made 2-3x the pay even after they started flying. By the time I left my flight school a year and a half after I started, I was on Pace to make $55k. Some of my friends at the schools that weren't busy couldn't touch that, not even close. Even the busiest schools couldn't come close to that.

Firefighterpilo

I am looking at getting my ATP through AllATP. Has anyone done this? How was the experience? Does the ATP-CTP course include a check ride? Sorry I have been out of the game awhile.