$$$Airline Tran$port Professional$ Career Pilot Program???$$$

[carafreefly]

I will sing praises for ATP.

I can offer some info on ATP.
I am a Commuter Pilot and had some time off this summer. I decided to get my CFI/II/MEI. I hate to waste time so I looked into ATP. At a few of their locations they are set up to do a 14 day course for these three ratings. Yes, it's one of those things where you don't believe it until you see it, but I gave it a shot and sure enough, on the 13th day I passed my final checkride and flew home on the 14th.
Obviously it was intense, but they have it down to a science and get the job done. One important note: you have to be flexible. You have to go with the flow, you may not know when your checkride is until the day before or the morning of. Things happen quickly and are subject to change last minute. If all the examiners are booked, they will send you to another location to get your rides done. You may airline or you may fly a company plane depending on your program.
It was very different from my other training experiences, but the system they have is like no other, and I would highly recommend it whether you are starting from the beginning or adding on ratings.
I've seen success with both scenarios. I've met a lot of Profesional Airline Pilots who go there to do FE/ATP writtens or checkrides or add on CFI's and everyone has been pleased with their proffesionalism, aircraft, and efficiency.
I was pretty surprised how it all worked out.
Yes, it's a huge chunk of cash if you do the whole program, but seriously worth it. I believe it will save you frustration, time and ultimately money.
Feel free to ask Q's if you want....good luck.

 

[GaleWolf]

Just wanted to point out that there's also a 10-month version of the program, which is aimed towards "career changer" types. This way, you can continue to work for a bit longer while you get all the ratings.

 

[bender]

I'm currently in the 10 month program and I've posted a link to the journal I'm keeping. The guy who posted about his experience with the CFI/CFII/MEI program was absolutely right. The program will be intense and can be hectic at times, such as the few days leading up to my pvt-multi rating. Due to an abnormally high number of aircraft time-outs and maintenance issues there were only a couple seminoles available for training. This meant that my checkride was scheduled on Wed. morning and the first time I stepped in a multi engine aircraft was Mon. afternoon. To be successful at ATP you must be willing to put in a lot of study time outside of the program. It was the only reason I was fully prepared for the checkride.