Hello, my name is Riki and I’m a 19-year-old university sophomore in Tokyo. After a lot of research, I think enrolling in ATP and applying to the Envoy Air Cadet Program seems to be the best course I can take to reach my goal of becoming a pilot at a Major Airline.
I will graduate with a 4-year degree in March 2025. Although ATP will teach me and prepare me with everything I need starting from nothing, I have read that studying for my written exams early will significantly make things much easier after I start in ATP. And for that, I have a few questions.
What studying material would you recommend the most, and how should I start studying by myself?
Besides studying, what are things I should start doing to get ready before ATP?
I am planning on taking my FAA First Class medical in Tokyo before I leave. When would be the best time to take it if I am graduating from university in March 2025?
I apologize for writing so much. Having the dream of becoming a pilot from Japan while being a US citizen has been tough as I have no one I can personally talk to, so I would greatly appreciate any reply or advice. Thank you, and I hope you have an amazing day:)
We recommend Sporty’s Study Buddy and the Sheppard Air prep for ALL the FAA Written exams. The biggest thing for you to keep in mind is the written exams expire in 24mos if you haven’t taken the associated practical exam. If you’re not going to graduate till 2025, you really should wait until you’re considerably closer to your start date (say 6mos out).
Same goes for your medical unless you think you might have problem and want to make certain you don’t.
Beyond that do well in college as the airlines will want to see your grades.
I have no issue with Envoy’s (or any other Regional’s) Cadet program. What people don’t seem to realize is all these programs are an attempt to lock you in learn as all the Regionals are desperately fighting for bodies. While it may sound awesome to have a little more than your PPL in your pocket and already have a position secured, I feel you’re also potentially limiting your options. Again nothing against Envoy but ALOT can change between now and 2026. A few years ago Compass and ExpressJet were major players, now neither even exists.
Long short EVERY aspiring pilot out there needs to worry a whole lot more about their training and doing well than who’s uniform and livery they may or may not be flying years from now.
Hey, I am currently in the Envoy Cadet Program. I enjoyed my interview experience with them and I’m excited to start soon; it is a good program. However, I fully agree with Adam on this one. I waited until I was around 750-800 hours before I started to consider these programs because you have no idea where they may be in a few years. You want to be confident in the decision you are making, because you are locked in once you sign that contract. I would avoid looking too deeply ahead until you are set instructing and there is a clear pathway to 1500 hours. These programs often require you to be instructing with a partner school, so it would be unfortunate to go through all of the effort required to enter the program, only to find out that instructing isn’t for you, or that you want to instruct elsewhere. While it is good to have a plan, keep your options open! As Adam mentioned, the most important thing is being successful in your initial training and avoiding any checkride failures.
No need to echo what the others have said about the writtens, but you don’t want to do them too soon as the results expire after 24 calendar months. The one thing you could do is maybe read the free material the FAA puts out there on the website (the online books) during your free time over the summer break, but you really want to ensure you do well and get good grades.
If you truly desire to attend ATP, the only reason I’d recommend getting a PPL outside is if you’re unsure if the career and/or feel undecided. It is a very large commitment and fast-paced program. When you’re back home, I recommend taking a training center tour and admissions flight at a location nearest to you.
For interviewing and getting into a cadet program, they will be around for some time coming. When I started ATP it was peak Covid and all the airlines put a halt on them, but as Covid slowed down and the “pilot shortage” grew, I saw more cadet programs then I did before. It’s good to have an idea of your options, but until you’re at least a few hundred hours in, I wouldn’t stress about interviewing as most have prerequisites and requirements to be in. In the early stages of your newly found career, you want to be solely focused on performing well and maintaining a safety driven focus, which in return will give you opportunity in a cadet program.
I had never thought about cadet programs in that way, thank you for letting me know! I will do more research and look more carefully into what to expect in my initial training. Thank you!
I never thought I would be able to receive advice from someone who is actually in the program, thank you so much. As I have more than 2 years until I graduate, I will wait and see how the industry changes and think more about it when my time comes. Until then, I will focus more on my grades for school and written exams. It really motivates me to just be on the forums and read all kinds of questions, so I hope I can share some good news in the future:)
Thank you for the reply, I will definitely check the free materials! I will try taking a center tour and admissions flight as soon as possible. I am so happy to be able to receive real advice from real pilots, thank you so much! I will do my best.