I’ve been reading through posts and FAQ’s most of the day so I apologize if this is already addressed somewhere and I missed it, but I’m a little confused about the timeline to become a pilot with ATP, compared to going with an aviation university option. I haven’t done a lot of research related to aviation universities, but it’s my understanding that if you graduate with their flight degree you can immediately start working for a regional airline after graduation. Whereas with ATP you don’t begin your flight training until after you complete your bachelor’s degree. If it takes 9 months to complete the training and another 18 months working as an instructor to reach 1500 hours, then you are almost 3 years behind an aviation university graduate as to when you can start working as a regional pilot.
Please let me know if my understanding of the timelines are incorrect. Thank you.
So an aviation university would still be getting your bachelors. This would still be a 4 year degree, while getting all your ratings. I actually did a little comparison between what my college cost+ATP vs what a aviation college cost where you get your ratings and a degree. And it was anywhere from 50-100k more expensive to do the aviation university. Also you are wrong in the sense that if you go to an aviation university, you can go straight to the regionals. I believe certain part 141 universities qualify for R-ATP which allows pilots that graduated from there programs to get to the regionals at 1000 hours vs the required 1500 that most people from flight schools have to get to.
Your understanding of aviation universities is not correct. If you graduate from an aviation university (and do your flight training with them), you will be eligible to be hired by the airlines once you reach 1,000 hours of flight time. You will most certainly not be eligible to go straight to the airlines once you graduate, unless you have somehow managed to accrue the flight time while in college, which would be extremely difficult. In short, it takes 4-6 years to be airline eligible with an aviation university.
With ATP you need 1,500 hours to work for the airlines, but the program is significantly shorter. It takes about two years to be airline eligible.
To further clarify, you do not need a degree at all to work for the regional airlines, you do need one for the majors. Many people chose to get hired at a regional, then work on a degree online.
Take a look through the FAQ section again as there is a thread that addresses the various routes to the airlines.
Thank you for the feedback. I"m really just trying to get a sense of the fastest route to becoming a pilot with a major airline. It appears as though the AA Cadet Academy offers the fastest route, but I’m very hesitant to put all my eggs into one basket. Seems risky to commit to a single airline and to not have a degree to fall back on if necessary.
I respectfully disagree. If you goal is the fastest route AA Cadet states: How long will training take? The training will require up to 18 months, followed by up to 24 months of experience building, after which you will be qualified for an airline interview.
ATPs training is half the time at 9mos and the average to build time is 18mos shaving well over a year off AAs estimate.
I don’t think “fastest route” was the best choice of words on my part. Sorry for the confusion. I’m not looking at which program takes the least amount of time to complete, but rather I’m looking at the “earliest age” that each program allows you to become a pilot for a regional airline. It’s my understanding that once you become a regional pilot it takes the same amount of time to transition to a major airline, regardless of which program you used to become a regional pilot. Thus, I’m looking at which program (ATP, aviation university, or AA Cadet Academy) allows you to become a pilot at the youngest age?
ATP has made it clear in several posts that the recommended route is to start ATP after receiving a bachelor’s degree. Thus, the program would start at age 22. It takes 2-3 years to complete training and reach 1500 hours, meaning that you are probably 24-25 years old before becoming a regional pilot.
I’m still not sure how many hours are required after completing an aviation university degree, but I’m guessing you would be about 23-24 years old before becoming a regional pilot. Although at a much higher expense.
With the AA Cadet Academy you could actually start at age 18 and complete the program at age 21-22. Granted, you are locked into a single airline for life and you have no fall-back degree if necessary.
Again, not disputing that ATP takes the least time to complete, but it appears as though you may be older when you get your first pilot job compared to the other available programs.
ATP recommends you get a 4yr degree but certainly doesn’t require it. We mentors, having a little more experience, have come to understand the value of a 4yr degree in this industry and more important the value should flying not work out. We’re trying to give young people some good advice. If you want to earn you PPL and then enroll in the program so be it (we’re not going to yell at you).
That takes us back to ATP will again get you to an airline faster AND at a YOUNGER age then any other route. In fact if you start at 18 there a good chance you’ll be too young to get hired even if you meet the other requirements.