ASA ...ATR or CRJ - Opinions Needed
 

Which one usually has the easiest training cycle for a new hire pilot. Pay, reserve time, and schedules are secondary to passing training.

All I know is that time-on-type on the ATR can get you some lucrative and interesting opps overseas.

ATR dudes get fat pay on contracts in India, Ireland, and Japan. There are even lots of opps for FOs after you get 500 FO hrs on type. You can literally get a work visa, free housing, and a fat tax-free check almost anywhere on Earth once you get experienced on that sucker.

Some might argue against this, but it always seems like tprop school is harder than jet school from everyone I know whose done both.

I'm in training on the ATR at ASA right now and it's not bad at all. I don't start Sim's until next week so I don't know much about what it's like to fly it, but systems were easy enough to learn.

The ATR has the best training department hands down.

They wouldn't have hired you unless they thought you could pass either training program. Which program is easier shouldn't be anywhere near the top of your concerns.

Fly the ATR! It is a great plane (only JS'ed on them) and the model will look great in your house someday when you are flying RJ's/Boeing's etc anyway. Heck, I could fly our companies new 747-400's but that will be around for the rest of my career, the DC-8 won't <g>.

I totally enjoyed my 1000 hours on the ATR.

I did 2000 hours in the ATR and 5000 in the ERJ. I enjoyed the ATR more. It's a fun airplane.

You seem pretty insecure about being able to pass airline groundschool. Maybe continue gaining more experience b4 going 121 maybe?

im on the CRJ, 4 guys went to the ATR from my class and they all love it from what they ve said, however, they do not fly a lot at all on reserve, now that they are phasing them out in the next eyar who knows if they will even make it off reserve to fly this thing......as for the the CRJ, I absolutley love it, next month on reserve I am holding weekends off and its my second month. I also have been picking up open time because they have not been flying us on reserve that much, so i tak ethe initiative of trying to get the trips myself, anyways the training was tough , but if you work hard , its def doable, I like it here a lot and the people are great....goo d luck in ur decision.

Im going thru ATR training now. Alot of information but nothing very difficult. Just study a couple hrs each night and you'll be fine. I have heard reserve guys are averaging 4-8hrs a month:eek:

The mindset of picking what plane is "easiest" in training is kind of frightening. Personally I would go for the ATR, Turboprops are fun to fly, and it might be the last time in your career that you can really handfly the aircraft.

ATR has an excellent training program. I went through both programs at ASA and have to say the ATR had more hands on training and was a lot more fun. CRJ is just sitting at a computer clicking away where as the ATR is led by an instructor the whole time.

In regards to reserve, I would say someone put on the atr now would be on reserve till the atr went away (DEC). Serveral FO's are moving to the 700 so the reserve time should drop slightly from the current 7 months. On reserve, we usually fly somewhere around 15 hours, 25-30 starting in march or april...


Hope that helps...

The -200 has the best schedule.

What kind of Reserve Times on the 200 and 700?

You can ALWAYS choose to hand-fly an aircraft...My $.02 and also my 1,000th post!

-200 is hardly any reserve. the -700 is your whole life.

200 is about 2 months, i have a reserve line next month with weekends off and its my 1st month bidding, should hopefully hold a line in March...