Alexander,
APT/apt/adjective
Definition: appropriate or suitable in the circumstances
However ATP, as in the certificate, stands for Airline Transport Pilot. ATP, as in the flight school, stands for for Airline Transport Professionals.
Adam
We could all use a little humor right now
So am I to assume that after attending ATP, I and everyone else who did so will be professionals? 
That is certainly the goal. It will be up to you to act like one 
Chris
Shouldnāt be an issue for me, lol. My wife and I have been professionals all of our adult lives. Hopefully this will lead to a more enjoyable way to be a professional.
1 Like
ok so how much did it cost?
How much did what cost?
Adam
your pilot training.
Please visit ATPs website for current pricing information.
Adam
ok. thank you Adam.
Whatās going on guys. Just wanted to throw a comment on here and thank all of you, especially Adam, for all of the helpful information. Iād love to hear your thoughts on my current situation:
Iām at the very early stages of getting the ball rolling with ATP. This has been something Iāve wanted to do my entire life, but always blamed the cost on not doing It. I graduated with a bachelors in 2016 in Criminal Justice, and have been working in Law Enforcement for years now. I have a hefty chunk of student loans already, and am worried to take on so much more. However, I look at friends that pursued a masters, PHD, etc. and are damn close to 200k in debt, which is a lot more than Iād be. So I guess Iām at the point where Iām not going to let money determine whether or not Iām going to pursue a career that I love, as opposed to working a job that I dislike for the next 30 years. Iād love to hear your thoughts on this. Iāve came across some good info for reimbursements and and partnerships that ATP has with some regionals, which is great to see. I am fortunate that I have a living option with mom and pops during school, as they live about a half hour from one of the facilities.
I understand that years of working at a regional is in the mix. I have no expectations of jumping into a major in a year. I understand what needs to be done and a āpeanut butter and jelly dietā may need to be implemented for a while to save some money.
Hope to hear from you guys soon and I hope everyone and their family are doing well during these crazy times.
-Mac
Terrence,
Welcome to the forums.
The decision to take on more debt or not is entirely yours. That being said, one must also look at the career potential of both careers. I am not entirely sure what a career in law enforcement could be worth over a lifetime, but I would highly suspect that a pilot career would be far more lucrative, thus making the debt a worthwhile investment. Keep in mind that this kind of debt is not the same as consumer debt, it is an investment in your own career and earnings potential.
I would plan on a lot more than a year at the regionals, most people spend 5-10 years there, but your mileage may vary.
Chris
Mac,
Sounds like youāre headed in the right direction. As Chris said you should plan on at least a few years at a Regional. Keep in mind flying for a Major is the pinnacle of our profession and frankly not everyone gets the call. Either way itās a wonderful profession and making the career change was the best decision of my life.
Feel free to ask any and all.
Adam
Chris,
Thanks for the response, I appreciate it. And yeah I do understand the time thatās required flying for regionals. I guess āa yearā was more of a figure of speech.
Iām sure as the ball gets rolling with ATP, Iāll be posting in here A LOT more. So thanks again!
Adam,
I appreciate your response as well. I look forward to continue reading these forums and talking to all of you.
Terrence,
Anytime. Let us know how else we can help you and please keep us updated on your journey.
Chris
Hey, I am a 16 year old dreaming of becoming a major airline pilot in the future. Iām trying to look for schools to make me go through all my training and hours for a atp license. Could you help me through with this Iām very confused thank you
Nihal,
For starters, read through the FAQ section and then come back if you still have questions.
https://airlinepilot.life/c/frequently-asked-questions/19
Tory
Will,
Iām interested in how things are going for you now? I came across this thread googling some questions. Iām in a similar boat, 29 and turning 30 in a few months. I have an amazing job and career Iāve progressed in, but my passion has always been in flight. Due to some anxieties, self-doubts, and restraints from others in my life, I never pursued it when I was younger. Unfortunately, the first time I interacted with a potential flight instructor when I was in college and planning to pursue my PPL I had a bad experience, and just never went back to seriously being ready for it.
So seeing that youāre now 5 years from when you started your journey it would be nice to know if things have been going well? This past year asideā¦
Iām also happy to see that ATP has a flex track option for working professionals. Does anyone have experience with that in the airline career pilot program? I live in the UP by KSAW with two regional carriers for Delta and American, and others within driving distance, so potential for a future career in regionals if I didnāt want to move seems reasonable. But how has peopleās work-life balance been in getting started if youāre already a full-time professional before changing careers after building your minimums? Unfortunately it also looks like the nearest ATP school is outside Milwaukee, about 3-4 hour drive for me, but possible if I really want to pursue this kind of route.