I have recently started the ACPP at ATP in Scottsdale. I love the program thus far( much better than where I recieved my private license). With the vast amount of information given to the student at the beginning of instrument, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. The information is clear and understandable, however the order of what to study and what comes first is not so clear.
My question do any of the airline pilots have advise on a way to organize subjects or " what to study first" , in order to make the amount of info flow?
Frankly if you’re not feeling a little overwhelmed your situation awareness needs work. The program compresses years worth of material into months and is not for the faint of heart.
My advice is to listen to your instructor and trust the process. I don’t know anyone who didn’t feel exactly like you do right now (and those who say they didn’t I’m calling BS OR they’re oblivious, are about to washout and will blame ATP cause it couldn’t be their fault). There’s a reason they call this “the firehose”. Hang in there, you’ll be fine.
You’ll find it is pretty common that starting instrument can be a little overwhelming. It’s like a foreign language at first. As Adam mentioned, your instructor would be your best bet for guidance. With that being said, I used to recommend that my students find a good study guide (cough cough, pilots cafe) and use it as guidance for studying. DO NOT solely use it without digging deeper. It does not cover everything, but it is a good starting point. It will let you know a good majority of the surface material that you need to cover, and you can expand on each topic. If you go to the front of the FAR/AIM, you’ll also find that they have listed the regulations and AIM sections that you need to be familiar with for the instrument checkride. I went through highlighted and tabbed all of those regulations in my FAR/AIM in preparation. Things that also helped me were (as bad as it sounds), aviation YouTubers. There’s a lot of good mock checkrides, instructional videos, and just full IFR flights to watch. The more familiar you get with comms, clearances, and approaches, the better. I found that watching others, alongside my studying, pulled everything together so that I could see the context/real world usage. But that was just for me, could be different for you. It also helped me significantly with comms, which a lot of new instrument students struggle with. Those are just a few tips I would offer, but your instructor is your best source for guidance.
The first month is by far the toughest. The pace is fast, you feel constantly overwhelmed and behind on studying because it seems there aren’t enough hours in the day. Don’t worry, that’s normal! But you will adapt and get better knowing how to efficiently spend your time.
The best advice I can give, prioritize being prepared for your flights first. The time in the airplane is limited and expensive! If you’ve studied the applicable ground knowledge, reviewed the approach plates and flight plan, you can utilize that time in plane for hands on practice.
After your flight, debrief and review the items you could have done better. Then prepare for the next flight. After that, elevate videos, any “read, view do items” in your student extranet and written exam studying (if needed).
I appreciate the honesty. I have to agree that the people I met who did not make it through the program or advised against going to ATP had unrealistic expectations of what it takes to work in aviation.
I appreciate this so much its to know that I am not the only one feeling behind. Its true its like 8hrs + a day and there is still alot to be learned. I like what you are saying about the time in the plane that make a lot of sense to look at it from that perpesctive. Thank you.
Everyone answered this well, I am just going to add in that the feeling you have is normal. ATP is a transition and some experience it sooner than others.
What is nice is ATP lays out everything for you on what to be prepared for lessons, I recommend checking out the Action Plan under your available documents in your Student Extranet. From there you can even see what is to be expected of you during a lesson, along with reading any available briefing notes in your flight event.
When I was not flying or in the training center, I was watching YouTube videos, doing research on things I would struggle with, and chair flying. Always keep thinking ahead, “what is expected of me next” and brainstorm ways that you could improve. Your peers are also a great help, talk amongst fellow pilots in the training center, you will learn a LOT from your PEERS, spending time in the training center.