My name is David, and I am planning to enroll at the Mesa, Arizona location in late October. I am looking around a lot and finding tons of anecdotal data on placement rates for airline jobs. I gather that the regional airlines are particularly voracious in their recruiting efforts these days, but I’m interested in hard data if there is any available. ATP is happy to advertise the number of graduates placed in jobs in the last twelve months, but neglects to mention the total number of graduates. You see my trouble. Does anyone know where I can find more concrete data and numbers regarding placement rates? Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.
I hear what you’re saying but no I really don’t see your “trouble”? While I’m certain ATP knows the total number of graduates (and perhaps you could contact them directly and ask?) I don’t believe that would give you the picture you’re looking for. While they are “happy” (and proud) to advertise the grads placed, I’d be willing to bet even those figures aren’t complete. While many of ATP’s grads go on to instruct for ATP, many do not. The ones who do are more than happy to give the company notice that they’re “out of here” and where they’re going, those who don’t are under no obligation to inform ATP of anything and sometimes don’t. Further many get corporate jobs and again ATP doesn’t post those stats either.
Again I’m not sure I see you’re “trouble”? When I did my training there was no pilot shortage and you were beyond fortunate if you even got an interview. Of the pilots I went through training and instructed with only half ended up flying professionally. What if the current number was even half of that at 25%? Or even 10%? Would you decide against ATP or even entering the industry? The fact is not everyone is successful nor can or should be an airline pilot and there are little guarantees in this industry (or life for that matter). What I can tell you is that is if you work and train hard and are successful this is an amazing time to be starting and the odds (and the pay) is in your favor that you will get hired. How do I know? Because at least 600 ATP grads accomplished that in the last 12mos and that’s more than ever before.
ATP of course knows the number of graduates, but really has no way of telling the true number of people who have been placed at the airlines. You see, once somebody leaves the nest, unless they report back to ATP, the company has no means of tracking them. Not everybody instructs for ATP, many instruct elsewhere or find different jobs all together. So since the end result is not known, it is impossible to come up with a true ratio of student placement.
Thank you for your replies, Adam and Chris. I hadn’t thought of the complication of ATP being unable to track those who don’t take the in-house Flight Instructor job. I’m not meaning “trouble” in the woe-is-me sense. Just in the sense that an actual ratio is impossible to calculate if all you have is the number placed, and not the total number. But now I understand that even if I had the total number, the ratio would likely be inaccurate because not all graduates’ progress is reported to ATP.
The fact is that ATP is expensive. And I want all the information I can possibly get before making the sizable commitment. In the end there are no guarantees, I understand this.
I understand ATP cannot have 100% accurate records of post school placement as stated above, but all flight schools are in the same situation and thus the reported numbers should be comparable. I think (and have read) that placement rate is one of the many measurements a prospective student should take into account before selecting a school.
ATP does publish the current placement rate. They’ve placed 600+ pilots with airlines in the last 12mos. It percentage of the total students that’s the challenge and I’ve yet to see any flight school publish those.