Haha no. I paid for all my training working as a dishwasher at 14 throughout HS. Debt free. I went to a local 61 school, and overall costs from PPL-CFI's including Multi time..40k. Spread out though the 4 1/2 years it took to acquire everything.

Forked over 15K as in invested in something besides my certs? No. Saved up? No. A little exaggeration.

When you go through a type rating course, they cover all of the required items. I am sure the certificate they print you won't cost you anything.

I plan to take the written in May or June, and should have the 1500 hours in August or September, so this reg doesn't really effect me. But I do feel bad for the people coming up behind me. This course is easily going to cost $15,000 to $20,000 at the FSI/CAE type places. The 142 sim schools are pretty much the only ones that are equipped and in a position to offer the classes, and they can set the price where they want.

As for the I-paid-for-my-ATP-myself crowd that thinks the new pilots should just quit complaining and fork over the money, a $15k-20K course is much less palatable than the $1200-2000 that it currently costs to go out and rent a PA44 and do an ATP ride. Not only that, but the costs of college and flight training have gone up quite a bit in the last few years. Going from zero to commercial at the local FBO that I teach at is right about $45k. Then add in the costs of getting Multi-addon, CFI, II, MEI, and thats at least $60,000 for training at a 'local FBO' these days, not an aviation university program. Add in college at a state school (another $50k, possibly more), then that brings the grand total just to be a commercial pilot to $110,000. To expect people to now pay an additional $15k-20k on top that (after CFIing for a couple years and getting crap pay) is well over what is reasonable for 'paying dues'.

Beech90, you got a ton of flight time in a short period of time. How did you pull that off without the burden of college?

I just started taking college classes online, paying by credit hour. I should graduate in 2025 haha

Not everyone works for a regional.

Choosing to invest in yourself and additional ratings is a good thing no matter how you slice it.

Paying for a job is not a good thing, no matter how you try to justify it. (NOTE: for clarification this is not directed at Beech, just a general opinion of mine.)

It sounds like you generally did do everything right though. No debt and no 141 pilot mill. Keep going down the paths less traveled and you'll do fine and have more fun.

Except that the FAA says the ATP training program can not be part of basic indoc.

Cite your sources. CFR 61.156 says it can be a 121 training program.

At one time to be competitive for a regional you needed 2500tt.
Life isn't a race. Teach for a couple years, do some 135. If you get to a major at 35 you will have plenty of time to save for retirement.

So a guy/gal goes from steam-gauge C-172 to a Level C FMS 40,000# jet.
That's a big jump.

I went from Baron 58 to a Lear Jet 24/25 and that was a big jump.
It was like I almost had to re-learn how to fly again. Many things were counter intuitive like landing a Lear (or any jet) power back and then more power is needed as the gear and flaps are down and drag goes way up. Forget the 10% level off rule. Lears can climb 6,000 fpm, you need to start the level off process 3,000' before your assigned altitude. You need to watch the power settings at cruise as you can easily exceed MMO. I only had a part of a 135 in-house ground school followed by on the job flight training. The Lear would dutch-roll on approach with the yaw damper off and it felt like it was out of control. Finally bought several books, "Handling the Big Jets", and "Fly the Wing" to figure out on how to fly a jet.

I'm guessing that just means they have to create a separate training course for it. As in, it cannot be considered part of the basic Indoc, but just tack on whatever amount of time after indoc and call it ATP prep or whatever and it can be done as part of the initial training.

I think it can be a steep learning curve, but I went from light twins and Cessnas to a +40k# jet and didn't really see THAT big of difference. If anything, those things you're talking about are really just small tweeks to a normal instrument scan. You just have to think a little further ahead of the airplane and manage your energy.

Sorry if this has already been answered but you can take the written prior to turning 21...time to hit the books.
http://www.lasergrade.com/elig/psi-faa_elig_dis.htm

Link doesn't work could you repost or copy and paste

61.156 says it can be provided by 121 air carrier. From the final rule published in the Federal Register:

To those commenters that suggested the ATP CTP be incorporated into air carrier initial training because the subjects are already taught or because the training only applies to pilots in part 121 operations, the FAA disagrees. The ATP CTP is the base upon which a pilot must build. The concepts in the course will apply to any pilot who flies a large turbine aircraft regardless of operating rule part and therefore has value to pilots flying outside of part 121. The ATP CTP will cover topics the air carrier is not required to teach. For those general knowledge areas that are currently part of a part 121 initial training program, the FAA has modified subpart N to remove those requirements and reduce ground training for those pilots who have completed the ATP CTP. A pilot in an air carrier training program receives training specific to the air carrier’s operation and the specific aircraft that pilot is going to fly. Even if the subjects are offered by an air carrier in initial training, the pilot is focused primarily on learning the company operation and the specific type of aircraft they will fly, not on broader, foundational concepts that the ATP CTP is designed to provide.

Yay let's drop a few thousand dollars more before I even have a job. . .

But you can fly a shiny jet! And they'll even pay you almost $20,000 /yr to do it. What's not to like?