ATP Flight School Good Or Bad?

[eagle1983]

Personal experience preferred but any Info will be great. ATP's 90 fast track program interested me and so did the price - 39,995 or so. PM me if you have any specifics or any info

 

[dhc8fo]

Bad when hiring is hot, like now (because your instructor still has wet ink on his ticket and won't be much of an instructor with experience).

OK when hiring is stagnet because they are forced to stay instructing where they get some real world flying experience.

 

[NYCPilot]

Never been there, don't know anyone personally who attended. If you do a search on this board you will find a ton of information as this has been a very popular topic.

Aside from that, it doesn't seem like a bad deal. You'll get some coveted multi-time off the bat and probably an instructor job as well. This will allow you to continually be around planes and a training environment while building up hours quickly. Eventually, you may even get to do some ME instructing as well. ATP is definitely a pilot factory, but it seems a lot of guys can get hired out of there with low TT. Beware of anything on top of the career program like that RJ training, FMS familiarization, etc. Very costly and may not really benefit you as much as them.

 

[minitour]

Hindsight...I would have done it.

-mini

 

[MFRskyknight]

I know this won't help much.... but it's gotta be better than Airman.

MFR

 

[minitour]

I know this won't help much.... but it's gotta be better than Airman.

MFR

LMAO

-mini

 

[W.S.C.O.D.]

I did the 90day program in dallas.

NYCpilot's post is dead on!

Great school, airplanes, I am very satisfied! I had 3 cfi job offers within 2 weeks of completing the program (230tt)

90day program was very stressfull and guys at dispatch were slave drivers. My 90 day program took 120 day cuz wx, instructors getting jobs, etc. This was common when i was there.

You wont get ripped off, you will get your ratings, you most likely will bust A checkride. (because you get the min. training and cfi's are pressured to sign you off)

If you can teach yourself whatever your cfi doesnt youll do fine there.

I reccomend doing the program in the winter so you can build up allot of actual in the instrument/xc phase.

I did my training in dallas and got to fly to some really cool places (vgt, iwa, fll, jax, ict, row) I was luckly, most people got stuck going to MLU or MEI

if you have questions pm me

also do a search there is allot of info about ATP out

 

[W.S.C.O.D.]

oh yeah dont do the RJ or "direct track" program, too expensive and lame. But i wouldnt do a similar program at any other school.

 

[Almerick07]

yea, nix the direct track program, 90 days to get all your ratings.....I'm sure you can tough it out and actually instruct for a year or so (plus save $40k). A year and we'll say a half to meet most regional mins is pretty fast.

 

[350DRIVER]

Bad when hiring is hot, like now (because your instructor still has wet ink on his ticket and won't be much of an instructor with experience).

OK when hiring is stagnet because they are forced to stay instructing where they get some real world flying experience.

I second the above, pretty well stated. This is one flight school that I looked at quite a few years ago and glad I stayed away from it. I can't even say that I have recommended one student to attend this school. Your money would be much better spent at a different school. This is a lot of money for what may be or may not be promised, sometimes shortcuts are just that, shortcuts. You could do all plus some at a smaller no name flight school that doesn't take the glossy color ads in monthly publications. I would think long and hard about this one, it didn't take me very long when I looked at the other options that were out there and available.

 

[flydrummer]

I second the above, pretty well stated. This is one flight school that I looked at quite a few years ago and glad I stayed away from it. I can't even say that I have recommended one student to attend this school. Your money would be much better spent at a different school. This is a lot of money for what may be or may not be promised, sometimes shortcuts are just that, shortcuts. You could do all plus some at a smaller no name flight school that doesn't take the glossy color ads in monthly publications. I would think long and hard about this one, it didn't take me very long when I looked at the other options that were out there and available.

What are some of the other options that were available to you?

 

[350DRIVER]

What are some of the other options that were available to you?

The route I took was the Continental Express program in conjunction with San Jacinto college, was actually offered a 1900 ground instructor position in the days of John Dresser before I even completed the program. I did the CFI/CFII at Airman in Norman. I am merely saying that hell would have froze over before I gave ATP's $40,000+ for some "fast track program" which really is not overly relevant due to the lower hiring times that the regionals are requiring present day. You can do the training at a smaller no name mom and pops flight school and end up with the same desired result/outcome at a fraction of the cost.

 

[GAcfi]

Hey

Answered.

 

[350DRIVER]

350, sent you a Pm and e-mail if your still up, want to chat?

Didn't realize the box was full, will resolve that problem here now. I shot you a response email, give me a ring tom. afternoon if you are bored and want to catch up.

 

[Matt777]

The route I took was the Continental Express program in conjunction with San Jacinto college, was actually offered a 1900 ground instructor position in the days of John Dresser before I even completed the program. I did the CFI/CFII at Airman in Norman. I am merely saying that hell would have froze over before I gave ATP's $40,000+ for some "fast track program" which really is not overly relevant due to the lower hiring times that the regionals are requiring present day. You can do the training at a smaller no name mom and pops flight school and end up with the same desired result/outcome at a fraction of the cost.

I was quoted $40,000 at my local flightschool for PPL, IR, Commercial, CFI, CFII, Multi, and only 50 hours of multi time. I've just finished the PPL portion at a cost of $8,200 (for 40 hours 172 & 60 hours instruction) and was actually going to call ATP tomorrow to see if I could do the phone interview. Where are these FBOs that can do everything ATP does at a fraction of the cost?

There is a school in Fresno called Mazzei that costs $37,000 for 200 hours (just like ATP), but you only get 50 hours multi, instead of ATP's 140(+50FTD).

After reading the thread here over in the Regional Airlines section where Captains are complaining, in detail, about the inexperience of low time FOs it makes it seem like the 85 hours of cross country flying you can do at ATP would give you lots of experience with weather and flying in the IFR system.

Can you direct me to an FBO that can do all the ratings for a fraction of ATP?
I'm not being confrontational or sarcastic- I want to know so I can go there!!! Seriously.

Now you've got me worried now about all of ATPs CFIs being inexperienced!

When hiring is really good don't CFIs at most schools (in addition to ATP) move on to an airline job leaving the school with low time CFIs too? Or is that less common in an FBO environment, compared to ATP?

thanks for your help,

 

[350DRIVER]

$8,200 for the private course?. Ouch, did this include any fancy extras like a Boise X headset?. Seems like you could have done the same course for $5995 and even that seems a tad high. http://www.flyoft.com/private_pilot.php


The training and courses can be done for less than ATP's and for less than what you have paid thus far, the above is merely one example of many. I would suggest doing some research and comparing the costs before you give a flight school like ATP that much money. Don't let me stop you, if you are that determined to go there then by all means take that route.

The smaller flight schools can offer reduced rates and for the most part are cheaper, substantially cheaper in my opinion due to lower overhead costs, small size of the operation, the setup, etc, etc. I don't personally have the time to compare one school to another school but if cost is not a concern then by all means disregard my previous post and response.

85 hours of cross country flying you can do at ATP would give you lots of experience with weather and flying in the IFR system.

85 hours of flying city to city is not the answer to obtaining the "experience" which really only comes over a period of time. That statement would be like comparing single pilot IFR night freight in the northeast to flying this 85 hours will build the same amount of experience. Two different worlds my friend and I am sure as you advance you will soon see that.

Take things you read on this board with a grain of salt, opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one.

good luck in whatever you decide to do

You may want to look into the Mesa Airlines Pilot Development Program (MAPD) if your goal is to get to the airlines, even this 19 month program is cheaper (or was) and most all successful applicants upon completion of this program are hired on by Mesa to fly the CRJ700/900, EMB145, or Dash8. The program works, do a board search, I have attributed much to the subject over the past few years.

 

[Almerick07]

I did my ppl training at Monarch Air at KADS in Addison, TX (dfw area). I spent $4200 on my private, finished it in 35 hours exactly and in about 2 1/2 weeks. They have package deals for all your ratings and they typically hire former students paying $14 an hour....may have changed since last year. Cost of living is pretty cheap in DFW compared to other places if you needed to shack up there for a couple months.

www.monarchair.com

 

[350DRIVER]

Phase I

[size=+0]Phase I of the Professional Pilot Program navigates pilots-in-training from zero flight experience to a Commercial Pilot Rating. Utilizing a regimented training syllabus, students are able to progress quickly and economically through their flight training. Phase I is complete when the student has achieved the following:[/size]

[size=+0]190 hours total flight time[/size]
[size=+0]Private Pilot, Airplane Single Engine Land[/size]
[size=+0]Commercial Pilot, Airplane Single Engine Land / Instrument[/size]
[size=+0]Commercial Pilot, Airplane Multi-Engine Land / Instrument [/size]


Phase I Package Cost - $ 24,952.55


The CFI/II can be added to the above> Phase II Package Cost - $ 4,366.40


This is just one example of many, do the research

 

[flydrummer]

I did my ppl training at Monarch Air at KADS in Addison, TX (dfw area). I spent $4200 on my private, finished it in 35 hours exactly and in about 2 1/2 weeks. They have package deals for all your ratings and they typically hire former students paying $14 an hour....may have changed since last year. Cost of living is pretty cheap in DFW compared to other places if you needed to shack up there for a couple months.

www.monarchair.com

Man, I'm ready to move to Dallas. That's definiately some inexpensive flight trainig at Monarch. I think Matt777 lives in California as do I and i gotta say out here the cheapest I've found for PPL training is $7000 minimum. Don't even get me started on the cost of living. I have a friend that lives in McKinney and I can't belive the housing prices out there compared to L.A.

 

[Hogan]

I thought about gong the ATP route but found the quality of education was uneven. Some guys had a great experience. Some had a very bad one. Ran in to a few of their instructors in a bar and they had less time than I did and were very very very unhappy about being instructors. You'll learn the check ride then you are on your own, was the attitude. I think that must vary from place to place, at least I hope so.