Hello gets,

New member here. I’ve just reached ATP mins and have some questions about training at Envoy.

I’ve reached my 1500 hours teaching mostly private pilot students in Cessna 172s. I do not have my CFII and have very little IFR experience besides my IR training.

My question is, how much harder will training be for a person like me with very little IFR time?

What can I do now to increase my success in training?

I look forward to your response -

I'll save these guys the trouble.

Get IFR experience. You will not do well in any 121 program if you are not IFR proficient.

Almost everything is instrument EHSI with a flight director. Jepp approach plates.

Doesn’t matter what operator.

Do you have the 75 hours instrument required for the ATP?

Definitely need to be instrument proficient and should be current.

I do have the 75 hours required for the ATP. I’m not instrument current but I do plan on getting current and doing a couple hours in an FTD with an CFII before training.

I specifically put the emphasis on proficient first and not on current. Just because you are current per the FARs doesn’t mean proficient. That is the most important part.

And if you haven’t spent much time in actual IFR conditions, I would recommend that as well.

The training is mostly memorizing flows, multiengine procedures (single engine go arounds and stuff), then tons of ifr. 100% of daily airline ops are ifr, so you need to be sharp on ifr skills.

Sorry, but from what you said you are smack in the middle of the demographic of those who are not successful in training. Your training is going to be very difficult. I hope I'm wrong. Good luck.

I have no dog in the fight but to play devils advocate here. How did all the pilots make it through training back in the early 2000s when they did ATPs 90 day program and got hired at 250hrs? A lot of those pilots went straight into flying VOR and NDB approaches with 50ish hours of IFR time in a piston.

I'm not saying its smart or safe but I think its just like every other demographic of pilot "it depends on the person".

Back in those days did a new hire get a PIC type rating and an ATP ride? I’m not sure, but there’s obviously different practical test standards if so.

Just a hunch, I could be wrong

For anyone trying to pass a 121 new hire training (any airline), here is the secret sauce:

Attitude, show up hungry to learn. You gotta want to learn not only the plane but the company too.

Study, lots and lots. Here is how: note cards. Write out the notecards. The act of writing will be another time you see the specific details. Doing the cards over and over again will help. After that quiz and be quizzed by classmates.

Get sleep, don’t stay up all night. If your tired you will only waste your own time as you won’t learn squat.

Excercise, not crazy but a little goes a long way.

Eat decent food. Burger King has bent many new hires over and railed them. Doesn’t gotta be super vegan BS. Just decent, like leave it to beaver.

Have a beer, A Beer! Not The Whole darn 6 pack. Seriously have a beer, not kidding, I’m encouraging a drink.

Study some more, be an expert.

Lastly, ask good questions in class and stay engaged. This will be of tremendous benefit for everyone.

Best of luck