Hey guys,
I’m new to the chat. I am 24 yrs old and I already have my bachelors. I didn’t go to school for aviation though, but I always thought being a pilot would be cool. After talking to others about becoming a pilot and the opportunities. I think it would be a great career to get into to. I’m trying to become a captain as soon as possible at a major airline.
Nick,
Welcome to the forum and thank you for the introduction. Please feel free to ask us any questions that you may think of.
Chris
Is ATP worth it? The bang for your buck
Nick,
First off, it is no secret that this is ATP‘s forum. We are all graduates of ATP‘s program so we do admit that we are biased towards the program.
For me, it was the best decision of my life. When I was doing my research I really liked that ATP had a fixed cost. Relative to other flight school‘s ATP‘s program is beyond reasonable. Add that with the other benefits of airline partnerships, for me it was a no-brainer.
Tory
Tory,
May I ask what your experience was like going into ATP and your path on becoming a airline pilot? Also, what airline do you work for now.
Nick,
ATP had over 1200 grads hired by the airlines in the last 12 mos and has agreements and pathways with virtually every Regional in the country. They were also just chosen by Spirit and Frontier for their Direct Entry programv which is an unprecedented opportunity.
You say in your post you want to be an airline Capt ASAP. There is no faster route. So you tell me, is ATP worth it?
Adam
Adam,
Doing research it does sound like it will be worth it and you can get the return on your investment within 3-4 years.
You mentioned students were chosen as direct admits into Spirit and Frontier programs. What is the significance of that if you don’t mind me asking? I am asking because I want to work for Delta Airlines after ATP and want to find the quickest route for that.
Tory
Nick,
Great question. The significance is that there’s no way you’re going to Delta (or any other legacy carrier nor must Majors) right after ATP. Delta is a legacy carrier and flying for them is the pinnacle of our industry. A goal frankly not everyone achieves. The usual route is after ATP, you’d build the required 1500hrs and then get hired at a Regional where you’d spend anywhere from 2 to 10 to forever building time and experience until you got hired by a Major. ATPs Direct Entry would allow grads with the required time to go direct to Spirit or Frontier (both Majors) and bypass the Regional route. That means your first jet would be an Airbus vs an RJ. Once there you could have a very nice career or use it to build time and experience for Delta. This is a very significant opportunity in this industry.
Adam
Adam,
Does ATP have a route that is similar to Frontier and Spirit but it is for Delta l?
As I said, there are no direct paths to Delta. You need to understand, again, legacy airlines are the pinnacle of our industry and you don’t simply step in.
What ATP does have is agreements with the Regionals that support Delta.
Adam
Adam,
Okay, I was just wondering how that processed worked because I was looking on the ATP website and I was just looking at the hiring process and how ATP works with airlines. Like with Delta, if you want to get admitted to Delta you go through Endeavors STEP and CAP programs.
Nick,
Keep in mind there’s a pilot shortage and all the Regionals are fighting for bodies. To help their Regional partners the Majors have established some pathways as you mentioned. That said when you’re ready, you need to assess which Regional is best for you at the time knowing you’ll have just as good a chance getting to Delta whether you’re in the program or not.
Adam
Nick,
Currently there I no direct path to Delta straight from ATP. What you can do is go to ATP, and then work for one of Delta’s feeder airlines that has a flow through to Delta, such as Endeavor. This process will take several years and yes, ATP is the fastest path to the airlines.
I recommend you spend some serious time in our FAQ section and on ATP’s Mann website as there is a ton of information on both that will help get you going in the right direction.
Chris