Is there anything you’d wish you’d known before entering the program? I have a few months before my start date with ATP, and have already been advised to read the textbook & study for the written exams. Is there anything else you can think of that would help set me up for success?
Any advice is welcome and appreciated!
Thanks,
Emma
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COMPLETE the writtens before starting; as many as possible. I completed all before start date, and can’t tell you how much it will help you throughout a workhorse of a program. It will give you much more needed time towards the focus you’ll need for evals, checkrides and progress. I can’t stress this enough!
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Absolutely take those knowledge tests early. The way I look at it, at a minimum, you’ll be exposed to much more of what it is you’ll be learning in the program by completing all those tests. It gives you a structured way to learn the material, a goal of what to practice before you even start the program. Once you get started, you will have been exposed to cross country planning, or the E-6B, or weight and balance. You will have a much better idea what publications are available to you to find information. Or how the FARs are organized and where to find the answers for the questions you will come up with. It will allow you to start gaining a deeper understanding of all the topics when you aren’t seeing it for the first time in your ground school, so you can start to ask more in depth questions when you have that scheduled time with an instructor. And yes, when the check ride is getting closer and you feel like you just need a bit more time study the ACS for this one, you will not have to be looking ahead to the next tests for the next check ride and can just focus on the now.
I had about a month off before I started the fast track program and completed all the test, including the ground instructor ones and am so happy I did. I went from hating weight/balance and time/speed/distance problems to those being my favorite. And it really helped me cage my mind from my previous job to this program. I can’t recommend finishing those tests enough.
Good luck to you, and congratulations on taking such a big step towards you goals!
Emma,
Best advice I have is relax and enjoy your family and friends and just about anything else you like. Once you start the program you will be getting on a very fast moving escalator that will require the vast majority of your time and doesn’t really let to fit a while. As the others have said bang out the writtens if you can but really it can be done during the program. Enjoying downtime is what can’t be done so make sure and catch up on that.
Adam
Hi Emma!
Congrats on scheduling your start date! The first thing I did after becoming a mentor on this forum what write about exactly what you’re asking. What does an ATP student need to do to be successful?
Tory
Emma,
I would work on the writtens if you can, but remember that it is not required. My advice would be to enjoy your time at home as life is about to get really busy.
Chris