ATP Flight Schools

ATP flies aircraft from its 23 training centers country-wide.

Learning to fly can be an exciting endeavor and a gateway to a good career. While earnings for a pilot can start below $20,000, experienced pilots can make well over $200,000 a year. Getting the proper flight training is extremely important, and it is essential to select a good training provider. As one of the largest flight training providers in the country, Airline Transport Professionals (usually simply referred to as ATP) may offer a suitable product for prospective pilots.

Accelerated Flight Training

ATP is well known in the industry for its accelerated flight training programs. It's main Airline Career Pilot Program, intended for pilots who want to quickly gain ratings and experience towards a professional flying career. The program can take a student from having zero time to a commercial and flight instructor license in as little as 150 days. For those with a bit of prior experience, a 90 day track also exists. ATP also has programs for individual ratings that can be completed at an accelerated pace. For example, an instrument rating can be obtained in only 15 days. While actual training time may vary, training is completed at an accelerated pace. As is typical with flight training, costs are significant. For the full 150 day course, ATP estimates around $55,000 as of 201, but costs will vary. Financing is offered if needed.

Additional Programs

In addition to its accelerated programs, ATP also offers numerous other products. Test "warm-ups" sessions help applicants study for and pass FAA standardized written tests. A Regional Jet Airline Training course is offered that includes time in a CRJ-200 training device. ATP also offers Introductory flights and Recurrent Training that must be completed by all pilots at least every two years. In conjunction with Mountain State University, an associate or bachelor degree may now be obtained in conjunction with flight training from ATP. Costs for various programs will vary from student to student but ATP provides estimates for each course.

Locations

ATP has 23 locations all around the country. Some large cities where training can be obtained with ATP include San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta, New York, Chicago, and numerous others. Most of the training centers are in the southern part of the country where favorable flying weather is prevalent.

Fleet and Equipment

As a nationwide training provider, ATP flies a large fleet of aircraft. Its primary training aircraft is the Piper PA-44 Seminole, a multi-engine trainer. Unlike many flight schools, ATP focuses its training in multi-engine aircraft, which is generally considered more valuable by prospective employers. ATP also flies Diamond DA40s, Cessna C-172 Skyhawks and will be adding Diamond D-JETs, a new type of very light jet. ATP also uses a variety of flight simulators and training devices including CRJ-200 Flight Training Devices (FTD).

References

• ATP Flight School
• ATP: MSU ATP Degree Program
• ATP: Flight School Directory
• ATP: Flight Training Aircraft & Simulators