I’m sure you all get many threads on the reality of working while in this program, but I’d like to believe that my particular situation is unique. I work graveyard shifts from 6pm to 6am. I’m currently working on my PPL for rotorcraft, and I use 4-6 of my work hours to study. My job is in protective security and I can do mostly whatever I please, as long as I prioritize the needs of our clients.
With plenty of time to study, would that eliminate the main challenge of balancing ATP and working? I’m ready to immerse myself in this, but absolutely need the job because I have other people depending on me right now.
No, working will not be possible while in ATP’s program. It isn’t just about studying, sleep is an important part of being prepared for flights and checkrides. Think about it this way, the FAA would take serious issue with an airline pilot working a twelve hour shift, then going to fly airplanes all day.
While I’m sure you believe you situation is “unique”, there are plenty of graveyard shift workers out there. You say you’re currently working on your RW PPL, but is that training part of a highly accelerated program that will require you to be ready for a checkride at a predetermined time vs when you say you’re ready? Your current hours are 6pm-6am and ATP days are usually 8-5ish, will you be relying on getting 2hrs of sleep a day? What happens when you need to do your night cross country flights, night landings or your days simply run long?
I often say this is America and you can do as you like but when you sign up for ATP you’re not signing up for a part-time casual training program and you will agree to be available when you need to be available and that also mean awake and ready to train. Not sure about you but if I were going to invest $70k into my future I wouldn’t gamble with it.
I said unique because of the opportunity to study for multiple hours. I would love it if my current flight school was a structured and accelerated program, but since it is in helicopters and it’s a rather small school, there is only one instructor and sometimes they aren’t available, so we have to coordinate.
Now the 8a-5p days are what I was looking for. If that is the only schedule available, then you are right; this wouldn’t work with my current schedule. I was hoping that me committing 5 hours a day else where for ground, and flying at the school 5x per week after 12pm would be possible.
I understand what you’re saying but what you need to understand is we’re talking about getting your PPL, ME rating, Instrument rating, CPL, CFI, CFII and CFII in 9mos vs 2yrs elsewhere. It is a fulltime commitment. I offer the 8-5 as a sample but it can and will vary. Weather, flight time requirements, your personal learning abilities and skills will all play a part. If let’s say you were able to start at noon but the weather was forecast to crap out in the afternoon then you’d need to go up at 6am. Again their are many hours of night requirements. During the cross country an CFI stages you won’t be anywhere near your primary airport for weeks. Finally if you’re just having difficulties with a particular concept or skill and your checkride is Friday you may find yourself in the sim, classroom or airplane for many more hours than you planned so that you will be ready. The truth is ATP tried a “self-paced” more flexible version of the program and it didn’t work. Make sense?
Allen, I’m in the program right now, in the latter half of the private portion. An opportunity for a job similar to yours came up recently, but I had to turn it down - you really can’t manage that much and be successful in the program, in my opinion. Along with the daily flying and studying, your hours can also be somewhat unpredictable - you’ll be scheduled for different times within that 0800-1700 block to fly, based upon things like prevailing weather, what you’re learning, aircraft/instructor availability, and so on.
Finally… learning to fly can be tiring. I’m told it gets easier as you go along, but when you’re still new and trying to control your speed on approach, hold a crab angle with cross control inputs in a stiff crosswind, set down right on the touchdown markers, communicate with the tower - and you do that for an hour or two - sometimes you feel pretty worn out afterwards. I haven’t ever been given more than I can handle, but there have definitely been a few days where I’ve gone home and went to sleep for an hour. I can’t imagine trying to do a mid shift on top of all that.
With all that said, there are things you can do to help bring in a little extra side cash. Driving gigs like Uber, Lyft, and Amazon Flex are all manageable, and you set your own hours. There are a few others like that - periodic jobs, where you can keep your hours low and when you want them - that float around.
Thanks a ton for this. I have already decided that I’ll have to leave my job if I want to be successful in the program. My next step is just convincing the parents to let me move back in. Thanks for your input!