Expect to pay $500-$600+ per hour at ATP flight school

[mcjohn]

I think ATP has gotten too expensive in the last couple of years for the amount of real flying time you get. Let's crack some numbers here. Also, consider that ground instruction at ATP is very minimal b/c they send you everything you're supposed to know 3 weeks in advance so you teach it to yourself.

O.K..... for the CFI program you pay $5995 if you have the 8 hrs PIC plus up to $1350 for your check rides. You get up to 7 hrs multi and 5 hours single for that price so 60% of the cost goes to multi and 40% goes to single (creative I know but it gets us in the ball park.)
$5995 + $1350 = $7345
60% of that is $4407/7 hours multi breaks down to $630 per hour
40% of that is $2938/5 hours single breaks down to $587 per hour

Now, if you don't have the 8 hrs PIC multi then you have to do the other course to get the time and that's $6995 + $1350 for check rides = $8345
That gives you up to 15 hours multi and 5 hours single
75% of that is $6259/15 hours multi = $417 per hour
25% of that is $2086/5 hours of single = $417 per hour.

The time that it takes to complete the checkride is part of the PIC time they alot for you so that's why I included it into the cost.


Regarding the 90 day course I decided not to go because I found out that 50 hrs of the the 190 multi they promised were FTD (simulator) time.

O.K here's the icing on the cake:
If you're using ATP ab-initio to regional airlines:
$8995 for 85 hr private pilot program (60 days)
$44995 for 200 hr airline career pilot program (90 days)
$24995 for 170 hr airline transition program (60 days)

EQUALS $78,985 for 455 TT and 240 multi PIC. In 7 months you can be an airline pilot even if you've never sat in a plane before.

Do you folks know anyone who has done this? Do you think it's possible for someone to be well qualified in 7 months after this kind of training?

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Sure, but to pay almost $80,000 to make less than $30,000, then make $0 and find a job at home depot, just seems ridiculous to me. Flying an airliner is amazing to me, it always has been, however being an airline pilot as a career has been virtually awful in all aspects.

 

[mcjohn]

Hi friend. Thanks for the bump. I was getting worried that all my hard work up there went to waste. What's this home depot thing? I've heard this before. Are there a bunch of ex-airline pilots working at home depot or something!?

 

[Fugawe]

Hi friend. Thanks for the bump. I was getting worried that all my hard work up there went to waste. What's this home depot thing? I've heard this before. Are there a bunch of ex-airline pilots working at home depot or something!?

No, but many are doing other jobs (or investing, consulting, etc) as the airline 'career' goes down the crapper.

The home depot comment is a generic job that's available to most anyone -- it's meant just as a comparison. Like saying, 'if I can't find a job, at least I can be a Wal-Mart greeter'.

Gotta agree with YourPilotFriend....spending $80,000 to make $30,000 is foolishness. I'm not sure $30,000 is a reasonable starting expectation. If there was a long-term upside to the job, perhaps the $80,000 could be seen as an investment, similar to college or other advanced education programs. Even using the 'love of flying' as a reason to spend the $80,000 makes little sense unless daddy is paying.

Fugawe

 

[Carl_Spackler]

Go check out an FBO. You can get your ratings just as fast, for muc, much cheaper.

 

[mudkow60]

I got my multi / comm / inst with them... I thought the time break down was like 150-200 an hour for the twin. Would have liked to just do laps in the pattern instead of hooded, single engine ILSsss but I thought the time-money thing was a good deal.

My memmory could be wrong, but that is what I remember thinking.

 

[Socalplt]

$30,000 to start with 450TT? Absolutely not going to happen. If you're really lucky maybe $20,000. $80,000 and you won't be even qualified to fly Part 135 VFR.


Seriously, there are some smaller mom and pop type places where you could get all of your ratings including MEII for well under $40k. I only paid for my first 26 hours of multi, and then gave over 300 hours of multi instruction in next year.

 

[Swass]

Here's my post from CAAM on a similar subject, I think it relates well here:



One of the best ways which is often overlooked is to get a job at one of the manufacturing plants out of HS (Cessna, Boeing, Raytheon) on the floor popping rivets or whatever else you are qualified to do. They will pay you to get a degree and you have access to their flying clubs to build hours at a drastically reduced rate and you may then be able to instruct there part time. It's an awesome way to get your foot in the door, build time and experience and also carry benefits while being gainfully employed. Some of the drawbacks are you would have to live in ICT for most of these jobs or Seattle (ICT isn't too bad, I've been here for 20 years). This is a REAL way to get to your goal of flying professionally. I have known lots of people who have done it and several fly for the companies themselves in jet equipment.

 

[Air 1]

EQUALS $78,985 for 455 TT and 240 multi PIC. In 7 months you can be an airline pilot even if you've never sat in a plane before.

For this price, go get all your rotor ratings and instruct for a year or two. Maybe then a person could get on with a GOM outfit and make double what a regional FO would make.

 

[mcjohn]

For real though! What is a GOM outfit?