Hello, I have been reading the forums for a while but have never posted.
I am 19 years old and have my PPL from a local flight school. I have completed some college at a community college, and am taking classes to transfer to a University to get my BA in Business Management. I have always been advised to take the non-ATP school route and instead obtain all my licenses with local flight schools, however, I have grown interested in ATP recently.
I am moved out and am independent, working full time to be able to support myself, while also trying to juggle school and continuing to fly. I am working on my instrument rating with Shepperd, but am a lot more behind than Iād like to be on the course. I am struggling to find what my next steps should be:
Should I put flying off for a few years to attend college and get a degree, and then go back to flying, quit my job, and attend ATP full time? Or should I use the Flex Trak option right now to be able to work, attend school, and fly all at the same time (probably with a steep decline in social life). However, I am willing to do whatever I need to do to become a commercial pilot - Iām not able to see myself in any other career.
I would much appreciate responses and advice.
Thanks!
Not sure who advised you ānot to take the ATP routeā but the thousands of pilots who have and are now successful airline pilots who strongly. Further the number of airline pilots who have done all their trainining at their local flight school is relatively small.
Ultimately the decision is yours but thereās a reason the airlines and the military train their pilots daily. As you should know by now each skill builds on last and consistency in training makes a huge difference. If it were me and I were 19 Iād put the flying on hold, finish your education and the complete ATPs Fast Track. My second choice would be to at least earn your Associates Degree, then go to ATP and after complete your BS online while youāre at a Regional with credit for your licenses and ratings.
If you feel you want to do the Self-Paced that of course is your choice. While itās a solid option really nothing beats the process and learning pace of the Fast Track.
Adam,
Sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now. At your age, I think you should unload a little bit and focus on one thing at a time. When you try balancing too many things at once, the quality of your performance will likely slack simply because youāre stretched too thin. Since you are young, Iād finish your degree first and then start ATP Fast track program after graduating. You will still be incredibly young for the average regional pilot and youād save yourself the hassle of trying to complete your bachelors while working at the regionals.
Not sure where you got the negative stigma of ATP, but going about your ratings at a local flight school will often cost you much more money, less training consistency so less favorable performance and much longer to complete. Thats where ATP came in to the flight training world to create something that is consistent, efficient and successful. The choice is yours, but youāre the perfect candidate to enter ATP once you complete your bachelors degree.
Like Adam (Pilot Mentor) and Hannah mentioned, you have a lot on your plate being 19. Focusing on your Secondary Education (whether Associateās or Bachelorās) is a priority right now ensuring that you get good grades and pass your final exams. If you can handle a fast-track program, there are benefits to it, hereās why:
ATP Flight School is one of the most finest standardized programs you will find out there that will prepare you for the airlines. They basically coin the term ādrinking from a fire hoseā not to scare you, but to prepare you for your career. Iāve read a few success stories from this forum of individuals transitioning to the airlines; all the training and studying strategies they developed at ATP made them better candidates for their airline. Iāve also read a few negative stories (to say the least) and they all have the same trend, either the individuals did not put the effort into the program or they could not handle the fast paced (Fast Track) learning. This is where your experience of college comes into play and you recognize your own ability; if you think you canāt handle the fast paced learning, then maybe the Flex Track is the better option.
Must I also say that ATP provides quality instructors, instructors are nationally recognized by the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) and AOPA on a yearly basis. ATP has a legacy to carry out, theyāve successfully developed a business model that has worked for over 35 years. Hundreds of trained pilots from ATP (pre-covid) where hired every year, while the next āwaveā of students would be in the pool not far after. The planes that you will fly at ATP are maintained to a high standard, all mechanics are in-house, the only time ATP will use a āthird-partyā mechanic is if the plane is not on base with maintenance facility and they need to get something fixed on that plane - they only look at the ābest of the bestā to work on their planes. I donāt know of any other flight school out there that owns all their planes out-right like ATP (not counting University Flight Schools; i.e., Embry).
I remember vividly when I was looking for recommendations to pursue flying as a career. I too got the olā āATP is a pilot mill, youāll learn how to pass a checkride, and not how to flyā spiel from a couple of folks (Part 61 flight school operators). Iām glad I didnāt listen to the naysayers and focused on my own planāwhich is to get from 0 hours to a First Officer seat in under 2 years per the ATP timeline. COVID happened and it was truly the only thing that derailed that plan, delaying myself and everyone else by a minimum of a year. At this time, Iām on track to reach my goal in just under 3 years. ATP made me into a fine flight instructor. My pass rate, advancement as a CFI and recognition from my previous employer all were a testament to that preparation. Most of all, ATP prepared me well for my airline training, which is fast, dense on information and unforgiving of slackness. I got exactly what ATP promised, on schedule (actually ahead) and on target. You will see a fair share of complaints and criticism of ATP if you try to look. Truth of the matter isāhappy people donāt complain, and usually just move on with their lives, which is why I take the time to post on here. Those that are unhappy also rarely disclose the whole story. And then there are flat out trolls that are happy using internet anonymity to stir the pot. I didnāt work for ATP following my training, I am not on payroll, I donāt get royalties for ārecruitingā new students. I, like the mentors on here, freely share my experience to give people a real-world perspective. I listened to the advice of mentors here. I did what was suggested and I reached my next goal. It worked really well for me, and I donāt see why it wouldnāt work well for others. On a closing note, ATP has an outstanding alumni network and alumni support staff. During the height of the pandemic, they were actively working to assist alumni like myself in identifying opportunities, which many of my friends from other āprestigious flying universitiesā could not boast about. Just my $0.02, take it or leave itā¦