What do ATPs do to stay sharp?
 

I am less than 100 hours from having the ATP mins and I am probably about a month from my first 135 PIC ride. My question is, what do you guys with tons more experience than I have do to keep yourselves sharp at ATP level?

Keep on top of the FARs.

Review your company's Operations Manuals.

Review your Aircraft Operations Manuals;

Hand fly the aircraft as much as possible including the approach procedures, even if the weather is VFR. After all, you don't want to lose those flying skills that took you so long to attain.

Keep raising your personal bar a little as time goes by.

Never be complacent about your job, or the aircraft your flying.

The thing that prompted my question is that I talked to a guy who said lots of folks who are ATPs probably couldn't pass an ATP ride again. This seemed rediculous to me. I don't believe that it would be most, but more likely a very few who don't care. Regardless, I don't want to be one of those.


How do you go about keeping up on FARs? Do you subscribe to publications that keep you up to date, or do you sit with the FAR/AIM book all day? What publications are good for keeping up on that sort of thing? Sorry for all the questions, I just really want to be a professional.

Atp
 

In the airlines you get the privilage of retaking the ATP ride every 6 months. However automation and the world of glass cockpits make it very diffrent from an ATP ride in a Senica. I would buy a few hours in a steam gauge simulator every year or so with a stern instructor.

SKyHigh

iflyjets, If you obtain the AirlineTransportPilot license in your job as an Airline Pilot, the airline will ensure that you stay up to date. Once you upgrade, you get to pass the ATP ride every six months. You will get a three or four day recurrent ground school every year to keep you fresh on regs and such.

At least that's the way it should be:D In actuality, most of us do try and stay up with professsional publications etc. The checkrides do require some brushing up, so you find yourself making sure that you fly to SOP a little more closely when you have a checkride coming up. I went out and bought a cheap MS sim program to use for the basics of non-precision work, and I boot it up once or twice before a checkride just so I don't have to go into a six month check without having done a VOR approach in the last six months.

However, the longer you do the job, the easier your six month checks become. This probably seems cliched, but it's true.


If you obtain an ATP outside of the airline environ, you might have to spend a little more time on MS sim, or maybe just find a school and buy an hour or two of sim time every so often. If you are financially able, buying a type in something cheap, just for your own skill enhancement would be a great way to keep in "training" shape on your one year ATP anniversary. You can actually obtain big jet ratings for as little as $6000.

All else considered, the best way to stay in shape is to work with/alongside another pilot who has the same aspirations as yourself. The two of you will find yourself challenging each other to maintain proficiency and to advance professionally. I stayed much sharper, with much less effort, when I was a commuter dog, flying with pilots who were still "newbies" than I did when I was a corporate pilot stuck with old crusty "I forgot that crap years ago" pilots.

Good Luck,
skybolt

I lost my skills after I left the MD-80/90 program at Boeing :( Even those were a step down from my DC-9 days, which were a step down from my EMB-110 days. I did do a perfect descent and landing this morning though :)

Best way to keep your skills = hand fly, hand fly, hand fly. No Autopilots, No flight Directors, No Autothrottles. Unfortunately some airlines do not allow you to disconnect the automation to that extent.

TP

I hear ya! Went from 1900 no flap circling landing, no autopilot, FD's etc. to MD80 MAYBE an NDB. To airbus RNAV, GPS, ILS CATIII. The less you work, the more you get paid.?

And as far as hand flying. Never mind the company, the Captain your flying with DOESN"T like you to click off the Automation. OR rubs his hands on his thighs after take off until you put the AP on.

Ditto!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for all the replies. If there are any publications you recommend, please feel free to volunteer that information. I appreciate all of your inputs.

I agree with the guy that said "hand-fly, hand-fly, hand-fly" i did a stint as an MD-83 training capt and i found my students benifited a lot from my "take everything off at 10,000, and let me see you do a visual". requests.