First off, thank you all soo much for this forum. Soo much expertise and truly helping make my new career outlook that much more clear,
Question involving schooling at multiple sites… I may be a little unique for prospective students in that my spouse is a traveling nurse and currently I work remote.
If accepted into ATP school, would it be possible to conduct say the 8 weeks needed to get your ppl at one site and then finish the remaining schooling at another?
I’ve read that the instructor relationships are key to guiding you through the schooling. I just know that we could be on the move after their contract ends and I want to make sure it’s even doable, though I’m sure frowned upon.
I’m all likelihood that’s not going to happen. When you enroll and select a start date you’re schedule (at a specific location) is created along with checkrides etc. It would be very difficult (if not impossible) to have that spread out amongst a number of locations.
Not only would I see this being a problem attending ATP, what are you going to do when you get to the airlines? Commuting is an option, but some find that commuting is really a drag; mentally and physically, always trying to get to your base on-time and sometimes being there super early for a later report time. Granted your spouse is a traveling nurse and living out of hotels is pretty much what we do on the road in the airlines, do you plan to settle down in one spot after obtaining your certificates and building time, or do you plan to constantly keep moving?
When you attend to ATP, you are saying “I chose this location to train at for XYZ reason(s),” and your schedule and program is built around that training center. Some locations may have delays due to weather, DPE availability or aircraft maintenance, but the rule of thumb is you really don’t want to delay your own program for vacation(s) and/or moving around. Hopping between training centers could delay your own program even because maybe they don’t have the availability that you hoped for and now stuck in between training. ATP trains around consistency and proficiency with a safe mindset that training will be conducted with integrity to you and the instructor, safe practice and professionalism.
The next question you might ask is: Can I transfer as an instructor? This is rare; however, it does happen from time to time, and this is why we recommend being flexible in your own lifestyle because you might not get your first base of choice. Similar to the airlines, seniority is key and being at the right place, at the right time is a thing too. The simple answer of this is, no; simply because a lot has to play into transferring, and it’s not guaranteed. In fact, no job position is guaranteed, you must work for it.