Class Date 08/19/24 KGKY

Student Experiences
1

Hello all!

I’m excited, and nervous, to make this slightly wordy post, but I hope to provide insight and updates into my experience with ATP and help others, as those who came before me have helped me (indirectly, through their posts). As the title says, I have an upcoming class date of August 19th to begin ACPP at the Arlington, TX location.

Currently, I’ve completed all required written exams, except for the FIA. I endeavor to take the last exam before beginning the program, but I am currently moving in and out of an apartment solo, which is taking up a lot of time. My scores are the result of the methods suggested to mostly everyone, and are as follows:

  • PAR: 95 (Sporty’s)
  • IRA: 97 (Sheppard for this and all following)
  • FII: 96
  • CAX: 99
  • FOI: 98

For background, I’ve known I’ve wanted to be a commercial pilot for a while, as my dad was an airplane mechanic and my mom is a flight attendant of 30+ years at the same legacy. So, I’ve always had that aviation/airline bug in me. When I turned 16, my mom took me to a flight school at KDWH (a bit of a way from KIAH) for a discovery flight, and I was just hooked on the novelty and excitement of being in the air. Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to fly regularly enough to make efficient progress, so I put flying on hold until I could drive myself. I started over and progressed fairly far through the program, even completing a few solo x-countries, but once again, I had to put finishing on the backburner due to starting college in Austin, TX at UT.

Fast forward, I graduated in three years this past May with my B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, and I knew that while I could do something with this for the rest of my life, it just wasn’t my passion. I then planned to complete my PPL at a local flight school before ATP, but due to getting my medical certificate deferred, and getting into some difficulties with verifying my citizenship, I changed my sights toward doing the whole program with ATP, with the intent that I will completely immerse myself in relearning everything the right way and the best way for the airlines.

I do realize the costs incurred by this decision, but I am blessed with my financial situation that allows me to prioritize timing. I know ATP is a rigorous program, but I intend to give my all into it and to get everything that I can out of it, and never lose sight of how I got here or why. I’ve been reading ATP forums since 2021, and I’m truly stoked to finally have a solid reason to add something to it.

Whether you made it to the end or not, thank you for reading, and I can’t wait to get flying!

P.S. As a 5’ 4" girl, is it recommended I buy some sort of booster cushion for behind/under me? And if so, are there any recommendations? My admissions flight seemed fine without it, but if it’s something shorter people typically benefit from getting, I would happily get one. Thanks!

1 Like
2

Raina,

Being excited and nervous are both very normal emotions when embarking on a journey of this magnitude. You’ve doing the best thing you possibly can to set yourself up for success and that’s showing up well prepared. Try and relax (easier said than done) and remember, this is something YOU chose to do and it’s actually supposed to be fun!

As for the cushion 5’4" isn’t short but I’ve seen taller use cushions and shorter not. It’s about your comfort (not what others do). If you were good on your admission flight you’re good but if you feel it may make you more comfy give it a try. Virtually every pilot at my airline use Costco gel cushions? I’ve never felt the need. Your call.

Adam

1 Like
3

Raina,

These emotions are acceptable, and this journey wouldn’t be the same without them, congrats on your start date with ATP next month! Reading stories like yours reminds me when I first came to the forum and started my journey, following and trusting the process, taking all the recommendations from then Pilot Mentors here on the forum. :smiley:

I think you are going to notice a HUGE sigh of relief once you start the program having all the required FAA writtens completed before Day 1! I’ve been fortunate enough to seen both sides of students during my time as an instructor at ATP, from those that completed no writtens prior and have, and can testify the levels of stress are different. You will be able to focus on the flying portion and preparing for lessons a lot more than also cramming to take a written test which requires a minimum of 70% to pass, and results be brought back up come checkride time. All the scores you posted are fantastic.

I would recommend looking into seat cushions on Amazon (or similar) for a little boost (plus if you realize you don’t need it after all, you can return it. Once I land (currently on a flight from Oshkosh as I was fortunate to join the team from Piedmont), I will reach out to a fellow student of mine who used one to get a recommendation. If I do not hear from them tonight, I will bump the thread with a link and recommendation.

I look forward to reading about your success and journey as you become an airline pilot. Thank you for sharing this thread with all of us.

Brady

1 Like
4

Raina,

I was fortunate my inbound wasn’t overly delayed and I got on my connector, which means I was able to connect with me previous student who gave me some recommendations. She said she used a cheap one from Amazon, around $30. She also recommended some from her organization she’s apart of (The Ninety-Nines, Inc.) that some use the AERO Phoenix or Sporty’s. If you feel the cushion is not as what is expected, you could return it.

Brady

1 Like
5

Adam,

Coincidentally, I just saw the gel cushions you mentioned at Costco a day ago. Definitely good to hear that that’s a good option. Thank you for your response!

Raina

6

Brady,

Thank you for your time and response! I definitely agree that having these completed will really help me finish and not drown in everything.

I am going to research these cushion suggestions and find out what will work best for me. Appreciate it!

Raina

7

Raina,

Did you sort through these issues? You’ll need a first class medical and proof of citizenship before you can apply! Just wanted to verify before getting too deep in to the class preparation phase.

Hannah

8

Yes! I received my first class medical certificate from the FAA a few days before I wrote the post. Thank you for checking on that; I should’ve mentioned that explicitly :sweat_smile:

9

Excellent info Raina,

How far in advance were you provided an ATP start date?
And did you find that to be ample time for studying?
Well done.

10

Brian,

Thank you!

I believe start dates and availability depends on the location you’re looking into. I actually called to get a class date shortly after I received my medical certificate, and the KGKY location was able to offer a class date of literally any Monday. I scheduled about three weeks out, anyway, so I could ensure I had everything ready financially, and so I could complete the Elevate course first.

For the writtens, I started studying mid-May and completed all except the FIA, currently. So, I completed most studying in 2 months, prior to setting a class date (although having my medical deferred definitely contributed to this, too, since they rightfully would not let me set a class date till my medical was approved).

At the end of the day, I really wanted to prioritize getting most or all of my writtens completed to ensure that I would be able to focus on the program entirely. I would not recommend rushing a class date unless you know yourself to work best under those circumstances. For me, the program is a lot of money and commitment, so anything to enable smoother sailing seemed like the best option to me.

Raina

11

Hello all!

I completed my very first day at ATP-GKY (I had the class date moved up a week). It began with an 11am check-in with a very sweet Training Support Specialist who essentially did a re-run of ZOOM orientation. She emphasized that this program requires learning the ground knowledge, and not just being a good pilot in the air, which I thought was a good thing to emphasize. Following check-in, I got my passport and medical scanned and I met my instructor soon after. This is my instructor’s second week instructing for ATP, and he did an excellent job. I feel like it just shows how well ATP’s program prepares most people if they put in the work.

I did about two hours of sim and two hours of flight. The sim was quite an experience with the overly sensitive controls, but I was able to adjust my motions over some time. That being said, I got a red screen of death at some point (although my instructor couldn’t find out why), which was slightly embarrassing and alarming. Additionally, all my landings slammed to the ground. Flying in the air, however, went MUCH better. Due to my experience flying, we moved past fundamentals to some maneuvering (slow flight, power on/off stalls, steep turns), and I did a pretty solid job for the first time flying in two years. Beyond that, I honestly spent most of the time getting used to flying with the G1000. I am a huge fan of the bugs. Everything else will come with routine. Landings started a little rough, but I did my third landing by myself and it was fairly smooth.

Overall, I had a great time, and although it was hot, all the rest of my training is scheduled bright and early, and cooler temperatures is always a silver lining to becoming a morning person (other than the smooth air and better visibility). My biggest struggle, beyond the G1000, would be getting used to the throttle control. I feel like there’s a lag in the RPM drop/rise and then I feel like I didn’t adjust the throttle enough and then it plummets/shoots up. And it also feels like there’s a certain amount of throttle where the RPM is a lot more sensitive than other spots.

Final note, I didn’t actually end up using the seat cushion I got as my feet reached the pedals just fine. However, I think I noticed that I was leaning forward a lot out of my seat because leaning back in the most upright position still didn’t let me see well enough over the instruments, so I will raise my seat more next time prior to takeoff and find that sweet spot. Overall, a good day!

The rest of the week I have mornings ranging from 5am to 10am and I can’t wait. Also, I have my FIA scheduled for Wednesday and Day 1 and Day 9 of Elevate left (and scheduled).

Raina

12

Raina,

Thank you for the synopsis. I have always found almost all simulators to be touchy on the controls and harder to land than the actual airplane, so expect that to continue through your career. As for the lag in throttle controls, get used to that too because that is exactly how a jet responds to changes, it can take several seconds to get the desired output from the engines.

Remember when you land to look down the runway and not right in front of the aircraft.

Thanks for the update, please keep them coming.

Chris

13

Raina,

Congrats on completing your first day, AND today is day 2 - exciting times! While this transition can sometimes seem overwhelming, please find time to breathe, relax, and gather some you time.

The simulator is not to be confused with the real airplane, it will NEVER fly like the real thing until you get to a full-motion Level D simulator used in airline training (even then, sometimes they’re janky). Use the simulator as a tool to work on procedures, scenarios, maneuver set ups, etc. You will have plenty of time to learn to fly, afterall, you’ll graduate the program with 250 hours of flight time. :smiley:

Did you get one of the ones I tagged, curious as to what you ordered. Feel free to share your recommendations for future students as well, or anyone seeking a cushion.

Brady

14

The second time I flew the simulator, I did MUCH better! It really was just me having to relax and just let the plane float and focus on tiny adjustments.

As for the throttle, I’ve gotten more accustomed to how it moves and grown to just recognize how the engine sounds and react more from that!

Landings are getting a lot better. One of my inconsistent mistakes is rounding out too high, so I think I need to get more comfortable with feeling like I’m plummeting towards my aiming point before looking down the runway, and then also applying a gradually increasing back pressure!

For the cushion, Brady, I also got one off Amazon around $30! I haven’t been using it because I’ve been doing good in the Cessnas without it. I do sit up when I’m flying to see the top of the cowling, so not leaning against the seatback, but my instructor said he had to do that, too, so I’m assuming that’s not abnormal? With the cushion, I wouldn’t be able to lean back either, so I feel like it’s okay! Today, though, I flew an older Cessna than usual, and I was a bit on my tippy toes without the cushion, so I’ll remember to use a cushion depending on the year of the plane in the future.

Overall, grinding through my TOLs. Also, I got a 96 on my FIA (last written). How much do y’all recommend taking the extra writtens to be a Gold Seal instructor? Is it one of those things that just help you stand out to an airline? Thanks for the advice y’all!

Raina

15

Raina,

I don’t believe my Gold Seal helped me get hired, but it has helped me get instructor positions at both my airlines which was a goal of mine.

Adam

16

Raina,

I recommend getting the Gold Seal. It is pretty straight forward to get and looks good on a resume.

Chris

17

Raina,

I like seeing the Gold Seal because it adds a little more ‘prestige’ to your Certificate Flight Instructor. I don’t think it will make it or break it for getting hired anywhere, but it can add to the conversation.

Brady

18

I will get those knocked out then ASAP! Anything will help. Thanks for the replies.

Things got chaotic but everything is going great. I got another seat cushion (round 2) after struggling with the forward slips in the older-ish planes. Got the AeroPhoenix from pilot mall 2". Works great, a lot more conventional, and just enough to make things accessible and comfortable. Passed my TOL Eval 8/29 and just passed my Solo Eval this morning (9/14). I have 1.5 hours left of Solo TOLs, since they credited 2.5 hours I had from my past. Solo Eval went great, landings were wonderful (likely due to the wind at 0 kts for most of it). Was a little scary because my flight was at 0600 and sunrise was 0711, and Tower also didn’t open till 7, but everything went well and my lead is amazing. He was super chill with me getting accustomed to the non-towered calls as well as the night landings (which went as good as the day ones did surprisingly). Spent 42 minutes in the air and the rest of the 2.0 waiting in a long line of CXKs holding short because the controller would never extend anyone. So that also probably contributed to how well it went, too :rofl:. But seriously, Evals were great and I’m super excited to knock out the last TOLs and get back into XC!

Appreciating the cooler weather, too!

Best,
Raina

19

Raina,

Cooler weather is always a bonus in the general aviation aircraft. :smiley:

Nicely done on passing the two evaluation events. I hope you were able to capture a solo picture and get one printed, framed, and hung in your living residences! That’s a memory to capture, for sure. There’s a reason I chose Trenton-Mercer County Airport (TTN) when I went through, not only for location, but local traffic and not having to sit there with the prop spinning, on the ground. :wink:

When is your expected checkride?

Brady

20

Until January! :cold_face:

Adam