I recently completed one of the most important decisions of my life and chose ATP for flight training to start my flying career with a goal of flying professionally as an airline pilot. I’ll be starting in July this year with 0.9 flight hours but in the meantime I completed Private Elevate and passed the PAR. I’m currently 5 days into the Instrument Elevate and will take the IRA as soon as I’m confident I’ll pass. I have military obligations until July so I’m working around that schedule. Preparation by reading and viewing the G.I.S. videos while making notes have been critical to understanding the content and being able to discuss it during the ground phase.
I really do believe this is a license to learn. Aeronautical experience will further develop and refine these required skill sets. An excellent aviator isn’t trained, they have learned from their flying experiences. Pilot mentors are an incredible resource and I appreciate your commitment to supporting us. I look forward to hearing from everyone about their experiences good or bad always something to be learned. I’ll continue sharing mine as well.
Daniel,
Welcome to both ATP and the forum! I look forward to reading about your journey through aviation. Please post updates and feel free to ask us any questions that you may have.
Chris
Daniel,
Welcome onboard to the forum and ATP! Getting ahead of things as early on will set you up for easier success as it will allow you to fully focus on the flying while you’re in the program. Yes, the ground is just as important, but if you can get a head start it will relieve a lot of the workload allowing for better focus of the actual skill building, knowledge learning and more. I look forward to seeing your updates and journey through both ATP and pathway after.
Brady
Thanks Chris. Thanks Brady.
I’m retiring from the Navy in July and so I’m still working 10 hours a day Mon-Fri. My work life balance right now is really one sided. I have an amazing wife that supports me while I bury my nose in the books and study the materials ATP has available. I make a point to include her in my study plans 2 or 3 hours each day sometimes more on the weekends if we don’t have plans. It’s been working well because I’m not thinking about training unless I’m training and I’m not thinking about anything else while I’m training. I cut a 97% on the PAR about 2 weeks after completing the Private Elevate.
-Dan
Dan,
It sounds like you’re at a very busy but very exciting crossroads in your life. The end of one incredible chapter, thank you for your service, and the start of another. Having the support of your spouse is critical to your success in the program and in the early years of getting started in this career. It can be tough but I promise you it’s worth it.
Great job on the PAR! Your study strategy is clearly working. Keep it up and let us know when you start date approaches!
Hannah
Dan,
Great job on the PAR. Keep up that kind of work and you will do well!
Chris
Thank you Hannah. Thank you Chris. I’ve been working the overnight shift since January, long enough to forget what the sun feels like so I haven’t stopped by yet but it would be super cool to have an alumni chat with the group. I’m going to show face soon to see what’s what I just don’t want to be a distraction or show up and everyone’s out flying.
Dan
Dan,
I would definitely call ahead before going. Let me know when you start
Chris
Chris,
I’ll for sure call ahead before I go in. My first day will be July 22nd well into hurricane season. The mornings here are always good but the afternoon storms can be nasty.
Dan
Daniel,
Nice job on the PAR, sorry I’m a little late to the party. While the weather may seem daunting, it changes so fast that one minute you’ll be conducting a sim lesson, then out at the plane the next because it’s cleared up.
Brady
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I’ve been very busy preparing to retire from the military. It’s a lot more work to get out than it was to get in. I’m still on track to start in Norfolk on July 22nd and to help things along I aced the IRA & FII exams this morning. Sheppard Air really helped with the rote level memorization. Since I have time I’m going to attend the Private Elevate on Zoom again and get my head back into private stage. Thats all I have for now and I look forward to reading more posts for insight.
They truly have the best data driven results. Now that you’re familiar with the Sheppard Air way, it’s simply rinse and repeat with each new test bank. Nice work on the IRA and FII. Having that jump start on the exams will help ease your transition in to the program with a little light work load.
July 22nd is nearly here! Looking forward to hearing about how your fist day goes.
Hannah
Daniel,
It sounds like you are doing an excellent job preparing for your start date. Keep up this work ethic and you will do well.
Chris
Daniel,
Nicely done with the writtens, we always recommend getting ahead as much as possible. Norfolk is an airport I just crossed off my list, was there the other week in the Embraer, what a nice short final view coming over the harbor. I’ll keep an ear out for that Career Track callsign!
Good luck and please let us know how your first week goes, looking forward to it.
Brady
Thank you Hannah, Chris, Brady. Call me captain obvious. I’m getting my head back into the private stage in prep for my first day on the 22nd and PAR knowledge all seems very rudimentary compared to the IRA knowledge and I’ve retained it. I remember it being an overwhelming amount of information when I first started. This Thursday is my last day at work and every time that someone has asked me what I plan to do next I get this huge smile on my face when I tell them I’m going to school.
Daniel,
July 22nd is 13 days away from today, there is plenty of time to get the PAR written out of the way. Depending on your work ethic and motivation, you may be able to get the IRA/FII accomplished beforehand as well. While I always recommend completing as many writtens as possible prior Day 1, you should take a day or two to yourself before the program to spend time with family/friends because for 9 months, you will be working extremely hard, limited on free time, and enjoying your new journey.
It’s great to have the support of not only your friends and family, but your colleagues who want to see you be successful and living your dream.
Brady
First day in the books, literally I logged 2.0 ATD. I have a sinus infection and the weather was bad so no flying but it was great checking in, meeting all the instructors and getting a feel for the flow of the training center. Everyone is at different stages and it’s helpful to get insight about the stage I’m on from those who just completed it. More to follow I was scheduled for 4 flights and 2 sims this week. I was worried I’d be underprepared but with all the material in the lesson guide I was just the right amount of prepared and was not surprised by anything in the lesson.
Daniel, I’m curious why you felt this way and more important, why were you ok with it? While you may have been fine Day 1, that might not be the case moving forward. I think you’ll find being OVER prepared is a much better plan.
Adam
Thanks Adam, I agree it’s better to be over prepared than not. I believe I set expectations for what I should expect in advance and then kept raising them as I thought of new scenarios in my head. I may have been overthinking it but I’m not ok with simply meeting standards.
Daniel,
I am glad the first day went well. Keep staying as ahead as possible in your studies and you will do well. Feel better with hat sinus infection!
Chris