Hello Everyone 
I’m not enrolled in ATP yet but I’m considering and surely soon I’ll be in the program but I’m trying to understand and get a good picture of how do I get to 1500 hour mark after I complete the program.
I’m aware that after we graduate we work for ATP as a CFI but is there an estimated timeline of how long it could take to reach the 1500 hour mark and get recruited by Regional or Major airlines?
Thank you
Ahmed,
As you point out, to fly for any airline in the US you must have 1500hrs. You’ll complete the Airline Career Pilot Program with approx 250hrs, leaving a balance of 1250. The average ATP instructor flies about 75hrs a month which equates to approx 16-17mos.
Id be remiss if I didn’t point out that it’s not simply “after we graduate we work for ATP”. While ATP always has instructor positions available, they are not guaranteed. Be a good student, conduct yourself as a professional and do well in the program and you will be offered a position. Don’t and you will not.
Adam
Ahmed,
While one could say “surely soon I’ll be in the program,” have you taken any of the enrollment steps into your hand? I’d also like to appreciate the research you’ve done, recognizing that there is a little time between program completion to flying at the regional/major level. I’ve screenshotted a synopsis from ATP’s website of certs/ratings and hours you’d receive:
Given you complete ATP’s program exactly at the proposed 9-month footprint, you’d receive 229 hours of airplane time (the 55 AATD does not count towards the 61.159). If you flew an average of 70 hours a month as an instructor, your timeframe for time building is 18 months, roughly a year and half. I typically like to say you can go from zero time to airline roughly 2 - 2.5 years, depending on a multitude of factors.
The other thing to mention is no position at ATP is guaranteed, you HAVE to work for it. When you go into your admission flight and further, it’s almost like an interview for the job. Everything is documented from that flight and goes onto a portfolio, your portfolio (whether you attend ATP or not). When you attend Day 1 class, it’s an ongoing interview throughout the program at which if you get into bad standing, you can say goodbye to that job opportunity. As Adam mentioned, be good, do well, and be a good person, and you’ll have that opportunity.
Brady
Brady,
Thank you for the screenshot, this gives a better clarity.
I have just scheduled my admissions class yesterday for 11/24, mind you this is all going very fast for me, it’s only been a week since I have looked into ATP’s commercial pilot program and within this week I have done my research and I’m planning out what my next 12 months are going to look like once I get enrolled. I had called in to ask a few questions before I could take the next steps. I’m 27, married, have a 1 year old and a full time job which demands 60-70 hours/week which I’m ready to resign if I go through this program since it requires to be all hands on deck.
I have decided to start in January 2025 to not prolong the admission any longer which also gives me enough time to wind things up at work and sort my finances out for the year.
My progress so far should tell you how motivated I am to start earning my wings with ATP and I’m super hyped to start this journey for my new career.
Thanks again,
Ahmed
Ahmed,
It does sound like you are highly motivated, keep that spirit going and you will do well in the program. Let us know how the Admisisons flight goes.
Chris
I sure will!
Thank you
Ahmed,
Fantastic news, I am glad to hear you’re taking the next few steps in the journey. Once you get the admissions flight completed and have an enrollment date, try to get a head start on at least the PAR.
Please let us know how the admissions flight goes this following week.
Brady
Ahmed,
Typically once you start instructing you’ll see an average of about 75 hours a month. So with 1250 hours to build and an average of 75/month you can estimate about 15 months of time building. That will put you just about at the 2 year mark from walking in the door the first day of training as a student to leaving with 1500 hours.
Hannah
Thank you for your support and the advice on the head start!
I’ll keep you posted once I’m done taking the admissions flight.
Ahmed
Okay thanks for the info, this gives me a lot more clarity to understand and plan things out well.
Also, while we are at it, how does the recruitment process work? I mean after I attain the 1500 hours, how long could it be until I’m hired by a regional airline?
Ahmed
Ahmed,
How long it takes to get hired by an airline really depends on the hiring environment at the time. The past few years, pilots have been getting hired almost the minute they hit 1,500 hours. Recently, we have seen some slowing in this ,but are expecting the hiring to pick back up soon as Boeing resumes delivering airplanes.
Chris
Thank you for the response Chris, I had my Discovery flight today and my instructor already got placed into a regional before he had even hit the 1500 mark.
He’s just waiting to build his hours at this point.
Ahmed
Ahmed,
How was the flight? What are your next steps?
Chris
Chris,
The flight was a great experience. It was surely bumpy with the gusts of winds. My instructor did mention the fact that we don’t usually fly in these weather conditions but I insisted I wanted to and get over with the discovery flight before any other factor changes my mind.
I have to make an appointment with the medical examiner, get my exam done, go through financing once the results come in and then just choose a start date.
Ahmed
Ahmed,
I am glad the flight went well and you enjoyed it. Please keep us in the loop as you go through the steps and as always, feel free to ask questions here.
Chris
Ahemd,
This time of the year you will occasionally see those winter winds; however, they eventually do settle, and you get the crisp, cool, stable air! 
Here’s a link to find your nearest AME:
Glad this admissions flight went well, keep us in the loop. We love to see students’ journey throughout. 
Brady
Ahmed,
I initially had some airsickness issues but don’t be discouraged! You’ll get used to it.
As for the hiring climate, the “slow down” we’re seeing is just a few months wait for a class date. In the big scheme of things, knowing you have a job on the horizon as soon as you complete 1500 hours is still unheard of for most careers.
Please keep us updated on your enrollment process and let us know if you have any other questions!
Hannah
Chris,
I had a great time at the discovery flight.
It’s been a week now and I plan to start in April 2025. While I have so much time in had until I start, I was wondering if I could knock out the private pilot test? The written part maybe? And once I enroll I could mai yo focus on flying? What are your thoughts on that? Also, I was researching about it but I don’t know where to start if I do want to give my written exam before I get enrolled into ATP. There was something about endorsing which I didn’t understand either.
Would love to know your thoughts on this.
Ahmed
Ahmed,
Yes, you absolutely should utilize the time you have before you start! Between now and April you could realistically have all 7 of them complete! That will really help lighten your study load while in the program.
Here is the source on the ATP site:
Since youre here, @Brady also wrote an incredibly handy guide on everything you need to know about written exams.
Hannah
Ahmed,
Brady gave you great resources, make sure to check those out. With a start date in April, you should be able to finish all of the written exams. Almost all of the test prep companies will give you the endorsements after you meet certain criteria.
Chris
