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BDGERJMN 04-07-2010 07:21 AM

Highly recommend ALL ATPs out of Jasper, AL. A bit more $$ for the traveling bunch but as a pointy nose guy with no time in a twin, I was treated and taught very well.

ficone 04-07-2010 12:04 PM

I second CRM in Scottsdale AZ.

Military Transition ATP Course

My instructor (C.A.) was an F-16 guy, and the study materials were very accurate and concise. They also provided an excellent IFG that takes you through every maneuver and procedure, step by step.

The price on their website seems a bit more than what I paid a couple years ago (I'm pretty sure it includes examiner's fee as well, though)...but I was very pleased with the whole experience.

PM me and we can split the referral bonus. :)

CaptPhil 04-07-2010 02:52 PM

Thank you guys for your information.
I may not be in the right forum:rolleyes:, as I am not a military pilot, but a captain in a major european company.
I have experienced a medical problem last year, that may not be a problem for the FAA; this is the main reason why I am trying to get a FAA ATP.
As you guys were talking of a quick and efficient way to get a FAA ATP, I found out that your way to get it was close to the way I'd like to get it.
And Harry's way seemed to be among the best...
I don't know yet where I will go, but I will certainly go to a school (and an examiner) that is used to deal with experienced pilots who just need a paper...

KC10 FATboy 04-07-2010 05:32 PM

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t1dude 04-08-2010 01:29 AM


Originally Posted by GoddardRocket (Post 12881)
Tanker-driver,

I used to fly tankers at McConnell and now fly T-1s at Columbus. Check out this school here in Columbus:

Accessible Aviation: Airline Transport Pilot Guaranteed Price! 3000+ hour Instructors!

It is owned by a retired AF guy who is a T-37 sim instructor. It is a little bit cheaper than All ATPs. It is a very laid back program, and the check pilots are very big picture. I just did my ATP written, FE written, and ATP checkride with them. They have good test prep software and the checkride was the easiest checkride I've ever had. My only complaint is that being so laid back they kind of dragged the program out for me. But I think its mainly because I live here. I have known lots of people who flew in here from out of town and got done with the program in 4 or 5 days.

Good Luck!

I don't like to post negative comments, but I cannot recommend this program. Good guy, I knew him from Columbus, but you get what you pay for. I know lots of folks who have had successful ATP checkrides there, but in the interest of honesty, I think it should be known there are people less than satisfied out there, too. I'm not the only one. The agreement was 2-3 flights and a checkride.

1st day, the airport was socked in with fog and the old Seneca had poor instrumentation. He had pulled the circuit breaker on one of the instruments and labeled it "inop" because it was so bad the last guy had failed his ATP checkride because he was unable to read it. The guy that failed was an Air Force guy and we found out that the check pilot this program uses was an old Continental scab. Also found out it wasn't the first military person using this program the examiner had had hooked recently, either. Our jaws dropped. To compensate for the poor instruments in the plane, he had an ancient unlit black/white GPS suction cupped to the glare shield. We were to use this to fly our full procedure turns. ATIS called wx less than mins. The guy says, "Well, I can see 1/4 mile this way and 1/4 mile that way, that's a half mile, let's go fly." He refused to file any flight plans. Knowing that he keeps less than 1/4 tank of fuel in the plane because avgas is a few cents more expensive at this airport (he uses student flights to ferry fuel from "training bases" 60-70 miles away), we declined.

I don't have time to list all the things that happened on the 2 flights we were actually airborne after multiple delays and reschedules, but suffice it to say the whole program was shockingly poor. Oral prep? Only if you can get one of the computers reconstructed out of 90's era parts to work. Instead, we were treated to war-stories for two hours while he lay on his back, on the floor, trying rewire the computers to work. The whole time, we were paying hourly for ground instruction. I was not going to fork over any more cash for anything less than a 99% guaranteed successful ATP checkride on my record. I felt accessible was a crapshoot.

I quit and went to All ATPs. Far, far superior in every respect and got the prior-mil "gentleman's checkride" I was looking for.

FightingFalconI 04-11-2010 05:20 PM

ATP pulled out of Jasper a year or two ago.


Originally Posted by BDGERJMN (Post 791300)
Highly recommend ALL ATPs out of Jasper, AL. A bit more $$ for the traveling bunch but as a pointy nose guy with no time in a twin, I was treated and taught very well.


FightingFalconI 04-11-2010 05:45 PM


1st day, the airport was socked in with fog and the old Seneca had poor instrumentation. He had pulled the circuit breaker on one of the instruments and labeled it "inop" because it was so bad the last guy had failed his ATP checkride because he was unable to read it. The guy that failed was an Air Force guy and we found out that the check pilot this program uses was an old Continental scab. Also found out it wasn't the first military person using this program the examiner had had hooked recently, either. Our jaws dropped. To compensate for the poor instruments in the plane, he had an ancient unlit black/white GPS suction cupped to the glare shield. We were to use this to fly our full procedure turns. ATIS called wx less than mins. The guy says, "Well, I can see 1/4 mile this way and 1/4 mile that way, that's a half mile, let's go fly." He refused to file any flight plans. Knowing that he keeps less than 1/4 tank of fuel in the plane because avgas is a few cents more expensive at this airport (he uses student flights to ferry fuel from "training bases" 60-70 miles away), we declined.
I have to respond to this. First, I spent $40,000 upgrading the avionics in 2007 so I have an EHSI, 2 ADIs, Garming 430 etc in the airplane. Visit our ATP page to see cockpit photos. Yes we used to use a VFR GPS for SA. And our ADF was inop and placarded. Second, I think there are a few mistatements in the preceeding, e.g. 1/2 mile vis and flying without flight plans can't be done from a towered field. When it is VFR, we do not file, if it is IFR, we do. Third. Yes I have had 2 or 3 busts in 11 years and over 200 ATP checkrides. The two military busts were guys who did not fly very much because of thier supervisory positions and although they busted, they felt the program was excellent and they just had a bad ride.
Fourth: I don't think you should judge an examiner by his background until you have been there. I know several of my graduates have been hired by Continental and enjoy flying for them. Fifth: I don't think we could do 2 1.5 to 2 hour training flights in a Seneca with less than 1/4 tanks. We might not top off every flight, but we keep it smart and legal. Sixth: At the time there was a big fuel mismatch and we did buy some gas at an airport 50 miles away, but we did some training at that airport so it did not detract from the profiles. We now buy all our gas at home station. Also, I have just run about a dozen guys from MEI thru the ATP prep and test in one day without any problems. They just did the written because they could get the ATP flight check from Flight Safety on their King Air/MC-12 sim check.
I regret when anyone has an unpleasant experience. We are constantly working to improve our training and if anyone has any questions, please call me at 662.574.9157

EP11 04-12-2010 07:54 AM

ATP option
 
I used the following course at CRM Aviation in Scottsdale Military Transition ATP Course. I was done in 3 days, could have finished in 2 but was visiting an old buddy in the area so stretched it out.

Pros: Great WX, Decent Price, Outstanding nightlife, Prepped to pass, Provided examiner is awesome

Cons: Older aircraft, lots of local "electives" which can distract

t1dude 04-12-2010 05:35 PM


Originally Posted by FightingFalconI (Post 794090)
I regret when anyone has an unpleasant experience. We are constantly working to improve our training and if anyone has any questions, please call me at 662.574.9157

Well, like I said, there was no personal with anyone there, perhaps it was just a confluence of unusual circumstances and decisions I didn't agree with. I regret the above post because it was obviously a long, long time ago and apparently, you've made some improvements and that opinion is no longer relevant. Out of respect for you, your business, and what you do for military folks, I'm withdrawing my negative comments. Best of luck.

blastoff 04-12-2010 05:45 PM


Originally Posted by FightingFalconI (Post 794090)
Fourth: I don't think you should judge an examiner by his background until you have been there. I know several of my graduates have been hired by Continental and enjoy flying for them.

In the phrase "Continental Scab," its the scab part he is keying in on. People judge scabs, that's the risk they took when they scabbed.


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