Evan,
As an ATP CFI you’ll have some flexibility and imput but you’ll need to coordinate with your students and center’s manager.
Adam
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Evan,
There is a scheduling software CFI’s use online. It’s basically a week/month layout with time slots and plane availability. It is up to the CFI to schedule their students out appropriately. If you’re on top of it, scheduling out early helps get the best time slots and make sure your students have notice to prepare. If all is going well you’ll receive little interference from the lead or TSS. Obviously with weather or planes in Mx scheduling can become more difficult and they might step in to adjust schedules for the efficiency of the Training center. For the most part though, the CFI is making their own schedule.
-Hannah
Hi Evan,
As the mentors have mentioned, we set our own schedules based on equipment availability. Currently to keep students on track with the 7 month program, we have to do at least 11 hours of flight or sim with them per week. So if you have 2 students, that’s 22, 3 students 33. Not all those hours are spent flying (instrument students spend a lot of time on the sim for example) and there are always schedule changes and weather delays, but right now is a busy time across all of ATP and instructors are getting a lot of flying done.
Alex
Alex,
Thanks for chiming in to add the experience as a current CFI! Sounds like you guys are working hard and staying busy. That’s great to hear!
-Hannah
Hi Hannah,
My location is a bit short on instructors at the moment, I’m the newest so I have the lowest student load but some of the guys are definitely maxing out their 8 hours of dual given to keep up the pace We had one student just finish MEI and another hopefully next week so if all goes well we will be able to add to the instructor base here soon.
There’s been a huge increase in activity since the beginning of the year, we have been adding a lot of students (relative to our small location size) and there seems to be a constant stream of tours and intro flights. Even the parking lot is full, we’ve been joking about having reserved CFI spots and making all the private students park across the street. 
Alex,
There’s a reason why the passenger parking is close to the terminal and the employees take a shuttle…
Adam
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Alex,
All good things! It’s an exciting time to be in the aviation industry. More students, growing location, more Airplanes, more hours to be flown, etc. Its just a matter of time until your student load grows too. Keep us updated!
-Hannah
Wowwww
Okay thank you for getting back to me. Would you recommend me getting a degree before starting ATP or just start as soon as possible after high school?
Jake,
We always recommend finishing your education first. The Majors desire a 4yr degree and its always good to have a backup in case flying doesn’t work out by choice or circumstance.
On the subject you don’t mention any flying experience (and no, sitting in the back going on vacation doesn’t count). Before you decide this is what you want to do, you really should take a lesson or intro flight to see if it’s really what you think it is.
Adam
I have a few hours already logged and some more flights that weren’t and I loved them all. It sounds like the smart choice is to finish my schooling first whether that will be a associates or 4 year so that’s most likely what I will end up doing. Thanks again.
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I’m all in and is excited to join one of the finest flight schools out here i want this career im becoming a pilot and ATP is my choose.
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