I’m down to a shortlist of a few ATP locations to choose from, but ultimately the best location will be where I have an opportunity for a CFI position. I will need to sell my house and move my family from Maine, so needless to say, I want to give myself the best opportunity to limit moving more than once in a year.
It appears that the Mesa location has the highest bandwidth in terms of aircraft, CFIs, and as a logical result, students that need instructing. That being said, does that high volume of students correlate with a higher need for instructors, or would I be just a well-served by applying to a smaller campus due to the 4:1 student ratio?
I have my Class I medical in hand as of yesterday, and am excited about my future as a pilot. Just trying to make the smartest decision I can.
Honestly the best location is the location that works best for you. ATP does it’s best to staff all their locations appropriately to give all their instructors the best opportunity to build time. Obviously larger, busier locations will have more instructors and visa versa so it really is a wash. Pick a location that works best for you and the family and you’ll be fine. Back when I went through the program I instructed in Jersey. It was a very small location that no one wanted. I was in and out in record time because there were only 2 instructors and we covered everything.
As a current instructor in Mesa hopefully I can shed some light on this for you. We train part 61(typical ATP students) as well as part 141(ASU college students). The demand fluctuates based on college school schedule. Staffing for instructors is high during the school season, but during the summer the supply of students sharply drops. Now as a CFI this means fewer hours for you, of course you have the option to transfer to another location but you may not be guaranteed a return spot once it picks up again. We usually have 50+ aircraft on site, but the number fluctuates as aircraft are moved around within the system. Weather is usually good, but there is the occasional thunderstorm during monsoon season, and dust storms come out of nowhere. It’s HOT! Not just a little hot. 120 degrees air temp hot, now add the heat reflecting off of the tarmac, then climb inside of a non-air conditioned aircraft with leather seats, you get the idea. Despite all of this which I’m certain sounds like I’m complaining, I actually really enjoy Phoenix, so much so I bought a house here. Cost of living is good, people are friendly, and the mild winter makes surviving summer that much better. ATP is fairly efficiency with how they manage staffing and aircraft at each location, I would focus more on what part of the country you want to live in, rather than the perks of a particular ATP location as this is really a small piece of time in regards to the big picture. Maybe consider what airline you want to work for and what their bases are, that way you won’t have to commute. Some cities that come to mind with major hubs for multiple airlines are Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, or LA. There is a regional/major airline domicile map floating around the Internet somewhere. Good luck!
My biggest concern is picking a location that I’m excited about, and then being forced to move if there isn’t CFI work. Given that the places I’m most interested in seem to be on the smaller side (7-8 CFIs listed on the website), I was concerned that choosing Mesa would offer me more opportunity, even if I might melt in the cockpit
I don’t begin the program until October, but from what I was told during my introductory flight the Denver location is also one of the larger location. I believe I was told they have somewhere around 30 instructors and about 80 students when I was there. They also get newer planes, the 172 we did my flight in had about 200hrs and several of the 172s were so new they had not yet been painted with the ATP logo.
There is the map that was spoken of earlier. It shows regional and major airlines that serve its airport as well as pay information for each airline. If the link doesn’t work just google airline domicile map and you’ll find one
Hi,
I was debating about the same question. Even tho you say they are staffed the same, the reality seems a bit different.
I was aiming to accomplish my commercial training in Delaware. When I got there, it seems an abandoned school. Then of course, I started researching about best locations.
When I went to Delaware location, there was just one CFI and he wasn’t good nor seemed to care.
What happens if I ended up in a location in which I can’t move forward with my learning because of the instructors? Can I change locations without major issues?
No one ever said the locations are staffed the “same”. What we’ve said is that ATP tries to staff every location appropriately based on the number of students, traffic, demand, etc. In that sense certainly bigger busier locations will show a great amount more activity. As I said, I was at one of the smallest locations when I instructed but I built as many hours as those at the busy locations where there were more students. It all balanced out. ATP doesn’t waste YOUR money on receptionists or salespeople which is why if you just “pop in” there’s a good chance you’ll find the office “abandoned”. If you need to see a lot of people and planes then by all means chose a busier, larger location.
I’m also not sure how you could determine the quality of an instructor by a visit and never taking a lesson? I’m not defending the individual I’m simply saying some people are great instructors but lousy salespeople. Anyway in answer to your question if at anytime you’re not satisfied with your instructor you can request a change of instructor or location. You are the customer. That all said I have to say if you’re looking for fancy offices and people sitting around waiting to greet you than ATP might not be the best school for you. If however you’re looking for the highest quality instruction and the fastest route to a career in aviation then you’ve come to the right place.
If you had a bad experience at a location, I would report it to administration so that it can be dealt with.
Yes, you can change locations during the program, but it isn’t something that should be taken lightly. I would recommend working with the CFI and then admin if necessary to address the issues before changing locations.
A friend of mine had been assigned an instructor that he didn’t “click” with from the get go. As far as I remember, it took ATP about a week to address the issue and assign him a new instructor. He’s been happy with the outcome. ATP is a business first and foremost and losing students is not a good business model.
On best locations… “best” is a subjective quality. What is best for a student (I.e. being the only student with all the instructor availability you can wish for) is bad for an instructor. One location could be really busy and eat up a lot of your time on the ground (Class C airspace) while another one maybe slower but will not prepare you as well for flying in busy environments. Then there’s weather: one location could be great In wintertime while summertime maybe miserable and have constant weather delays. Then there’s housing pricing and availability. Find out what is important for you and pick. There’s 40+ locations out there.
Hi Adam,
I should have said on my comments above that I did take a flight discovery at that location I visit.
It was based on the interaction with the CFI that made me concerned.
I am much more comfortable now that I learned your guys input about this subject.
I don’t care about school’s size as long as there is airplanes in good conditions, CFI’s capable of teaching me and that I click with.
I appreciate everyone’s input.
Cannot wait to join ATP very soon.
