Flight Training TimelineStart From Zero Time or With Credit for Private
With ATP's fast track, total immersion pilot training, you will complete the Airline Career Pilot Program with all the certification you need for employment as a professional pilot in just seven months.
Many factors, such as local weather and winter conditions, can affect your training timeline and lengthen the duration of your program. ATP's nationwide network of resources, training centers, aircraft, and examiners works to lessen the impact of delays.
Choose Your Starting Point
Complete Required Knowledge Tests & ATP Elevate Ground School
Pre-Arrival Prep
The following requirements are to be fulfilled 28 days prior to your class start date:
- ATP Elevate Private Pilot Ground School starting from zero time ATP Elevate Instrument Ground School starting with credit for having your private pilot license
- Successful Completion of the Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) FAA Airman Knowledge TestInstrument Rating Airplane (IRA) FAA Airman Knowledge Test 28 days before your class date
How to Prepare for Your Airline Career Pilot Program?
I've signed up for classes and placed my deposit. What do I need to do before my class start date?
The first step towards becoming an airline pilot is earning your Private Pilot Certificate.
Private Pilot
The first step towards becoming a commercial pilot is earning your single-engine Private Pilot Certificate. Keeping your end goal in mind — ATP's philosophy is to deliver airline-style training and flight experience at the very onset of a pilot's training career. This is accomplished through standardized operating procedures and training students to a high level of proficiency. In your primary training stage, you'll learn the fundamentals of flight and accomplish your first solo.
- Two-Week, Full-Time ATP Elevate Private Pilot Ground School
- Private Pilot Online Training Resources
- Single-Engine Flight Instruction & Briefings
- Single-Engine Solo Flights
Private Pilot (with single-engine privileges)
Requires up to 7 days per week, must be flexible
During the first two weeks of training, you'll attend ATP Elevate Ground School sessions, five days per week, and complete 35 hours of private pilot ground school.
For the remainder of your training, and as directed by your flight instructor and the program outline, each day you will participate in guided independent study (online modules, reading, research, "chair flying", etc.), group study (with students in similar stages of training), and/or flight lessons with related briefings. In addition, some days include simulator lessons, individual ground lessons and/or group ground lessons.
Learn more about a typical flight training day »
Learn more about required availability »
Some Time Away from Primary Training Center May Be Required
To keep your training on time, the single-engine private pilot checkride may be scheduled at a location other than your primary training center. In such cases, travel will be required and ATP will coordinate transportation and housing as necessary.
Multi-Engine Rating
Add multi-engine privileges to your private pilot certificate, allowing you to fly larger complex aircraft. While the principles of flight remain the same, learning to fly the multi-engine Piper Seminole will involve new concepts such as multi-engine aerodynamics, emergency operations, and more sophisticated systems.
- Multi-Engine Online Training Resources
- Multi-Engine Flight Instruction & Briefings
Multi-Engine Rating
Requires up to 7 days per week, must be flexible
As directed by your flight instructor and the program outline, each day you will participate in guided independent study (online modules, reading, research, "chair flying", etc.), group study (with students in similar stages of training), and/or flight lessons with related briefings. In addition, some days include simulator lessons, individual ground lessons and/or group ground lessons.
Learn more about a typical flight training day »
Learn more about required availability »
Some Time Away from Primary Training Center May Be Required
To keep your training on time, the multi-engine rating checkride may be scheduled at a location other than your primary training center. In such cases, travel will be required and ATP will coordinate transportation and housing as necessary.
Add an instrument rating to your private pilot certificate, which will allow you to fly in all kinds of weather.
Instrument Rating
Airlines conduct flights under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), allowing them to fly in less than ideal weather conditions. Accordingly, these pilots must have an Instrument Rating. During this stage, students conduct flights under simulated instrument conditions and learn IFR procedures such as approaches, holds, arrival and departure procedures, and emergency operations.
Not unlike other stages of the program, students are trained using standard operating procedures, flows, and callouts. This practice not only increases safety and consistency, but will prepare students for flying in the airline environment.
- Two-Week, Full-Time ATP Elevate Instrument Ground School
- Instrument Online Training Resources
- Instrument Single-Engine Flight Instruction & Briefings
- Scenario-Based Simulator Training
- Crew Procedures & LOFT Simulator Training
Instrument Rating
Requires up to 7 days per week, must be flexible
During the first two weeks of training, you'll attend ATP Elevate Ground School sessions, five days per week, and complete 35 hours of instrument ground school.
For the remainder of your training, and as directed by your flight instructor and the program outline, each day you will participate in guided independent study (online modules, reading, research, "chair flying", etc.), group study (with students in similar stages of training), and/or flight lessons with related briefings. In addition, some days include simulator lessons, individual ground lessons and/or group ground lessons.
Learn more about a typical flight training day »
Learn more about required availability »
Some Time Away from Primary Training Center May Be Required
To keep your training on time, the instrument rating checkride may be scheduled at a location other than your primary training center. In such cases, travel will be required and ATP will coordinate transportation and housing as necessary.
$5,000 Tuition Reimbursement — Earn $5,000 at this stage of your flight training through the Horizon Pilot Development Program.
Once instrument rated, gain experience flying with a fellow student.
Crew-Style Flight Experience
Upon earning an Instrument Rating, students are paired together on flights and gain experience operating in an airline-style environment using crew resource management.
Each flight is operated using standardized procedures, as well as enhanced scheduling with flight releases to assist with weather, routing, and performance reviews. Routes are scheduled based on operational needs and multiple flights to the same airport may be scheduled — just like the airlines. ATP's specialized Flight Operations team ensure safety and support for each flight through around-the-clock monitoring.
This crew-style flying requires a level of currency, proficiency, and standardization that defines ATP's excellence in flight training.
7 Days Per Week
Each day you can expect to fly one or more flights.
Learn more about required availability.
Up to Three Weeks from Primary Training Center Required
During the three-week Crew-Style Flight Experience stage of training, you will fly to any number of destinations. You may be required to be away from your primary training center for extended periods — just like the airlines.
After gaining crew-style flight experience, earn your single-engine Commercial Pilot Certificate.
Commercial Pilot
After completing the crew-style flying stage, students will begin preparing for their single-engine Commercial Pilot Certificate, eventually allowing them to be paid to fly. As a commercial pilot, new flight maneuvers are introduced and existing ones are held to tighter tolerances. Prior to completing the commercial pilot practical test, 10 hours of Technologically Advanced Aircraft training will have been conducted either at your primary training center or at another location.
Airline Career Pilot Program students can accelerate their path to airline hiring minimums by starting ATP's exclusive Airline Direct Track after earning their Commercial Pilot certificate.
- Commercial Online Training Resources
- Commercial Single-Engine Flight Instruction & Briefings
Commercial Pilot (with single-engine privileges)
Requires up to 7 days per week, must be flexible
As directed by your flight instructor and the program outline, each day you will participate in guided independent study (online modules, reading, research, "chair flying", etc.), group study (with students in similar stages of training), and/or flight lessons with related briefings. In addition, some days include simulator lessons, individual ground lessons and/or group ground lessons.
Learn more about a typical flight training day »
Learn more about required availability »
Some Time Away from Primary Training Center May Be Required
To keep your training on time, the commercial pilot checkride may be scheduled at a location other than your primary training center. In such cases, travel will be required and ATP will coordinate transportation and housing as necessary. Additionally, if no previous training was conducted in Technologically Advanced Aircraft, you may be required to travel to another training center for up to two weeks to accomplish this training.
Attend CFI Academy and become a flight instructor – the best way to gain experience and meet airline minimums.
Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) Academy
Five weeks of the program are devoted to developing students into Certificated Flight Instructors (CFI). Here students attend ATP's CFI Academy to learn the fundamentals of instruction and hone their ability to effectively teach and communicate the knowledge and experience they have attained throughout the program.
Becoming a CFI allows you to begin earning an income in your new career while you gain the flight experience needed to meet airline minimums.
Nationally Awarded & Recognized Instructors
ATP Flight School instructors set the industry standard for professional airline-oriented flight training. The quality and professionalism of ATP instructors have been consistently recognized by AOPA and the National Association of Flight Instructors.
- CFI Academy
- Two-Week ATP Elevate CFI Ground School
- CFI Online Training Resources
- Single-Engine CFI Flight Instruction & Briefings
Flight Instructor (with single-engine and instrument privileges)
Requires up to 7 days per week, must be flexible
The first two weeks of CFI Academy consists of instructor-led remote ATP Elevate Ground School, requiring full time virtual participation from your home.
As directed by your flight instructor and the program outline, each day you will participate in guided independent study (online modules, reading, research, "chair flying", etc.), group study (with students in similar stages of training), and/or flight lessons with related briefings. In addition, some days include simulator lessons, individual ground lessons and/or group ground lessons.
Learn more about a typical flight training day »
Learn more about required availability »
Up to Four Weeks from Primary Training Center Required
Depending on where you choose to train, you may be required to travel to a CFI Academy location. In such cases, travel will be required and ATP will coordinate transportation and housing as necessary.
Add multi-engine ratings to your existing certificates, allowing you to operate faster, larger aircraft.
Multi-Engine Add-Ons
Begin flying the Piper Seminole to add multi-engine privileges to your certificates. While the principles of flight remain the same, learning to fly the multi-engine Seminole will involve new concepts such as multi-engine aerodynamics, emergency operations, and more complex systems. This stage of the program also includes the flight time necessary to ensure that you'll meet Airline Transport Pilot certificate requirements later in your career and be eligible for airline pilot employment.
- Multi-Engine Online Training Resources
- Commercial Multi-Engine Flight Instruction & Briefings
- Multi-Engine CFI Flight Instruction & Briefings
- Commercial Pilot Multi-Engine Privileges
- Certificated Flight Instructor Multi-Engine Privileges
Requires up to 7 days per week, must be flexible
As directed by your flight instructor and the program outline, each day you will participate in guided independent study (online modules, reading, research, "chair flying", etc.), group study (with students in similar stages of training), and/or flight lessons with related briefings. In addition, some days include simulator lessons, individual ground lessons and/or group ground lessons.
Learn more about a typical flight training day »
Learn more about required availability »
Up to Three Weeks from Primary Training Center Required
Depending on where you choose to train, you may be required to travel to a Piper Seminole location. In such cases, travel will be required and ATP will coordinate transportation and housing as necessary.
$7,500 Tuition Reimbursement — Earn $7,500 at this stage of your flight training through the Horizon Pilot Development Program.
Gain flight time and experience by flying as a flight instructor.
Fly as a Flight Instructor
ATP is hiring Airline Career Program graduates for CFI jobs! Work towards the minimum airline hiring requirement of 1,500 hours as a certificated flight instructor (CFI) with ATP. As an ATP flight instructor, you will:
- Get Paid to Fly — Earn flight, ground and simulator fees, plus bonuses.
- Gain Experience Fast — ATP students flew over 554,000 hours the last year.
- Tuition Reimbursement — Through ATP's Exclusive Airline Partnerships.
- Career Development — Qualify to participate in A320 and B737 Direct Programs with Spirit, Frontier, Avelo, and Sun Country.
Airline Career Pilot Program students have the option to accelerate their path to 1500 hours with ATP's exclusive Airline Direct Track after earning their Commercial Pilot certificate.
While flying as a flight instructor, you can earn airline-sponsored tuition reimbursement and fast track your career with exclusive Direct Programs.
Tuition Reimbursement And Airline Direct Programs
As an ATP instructor, you'll be able to take advantage of the best competitive offers and exclusive partnerships, including airline-sponsored tuition reimbursement, cadet programs, and Airline Direct Programs for accelerated career progression.
Explore Airline Assistance Opportunities at ATP »
Tuition Reimbursement
ATP's partner airlines will contribute financially toward the cost of your flight training. Only at ATP can you earn $17,500 in airline-sponsored tuition reimbursement from SkyWest as a flight instructor. Visit CommuteAir, Horizon Air, PSA Airlines, and SkyWest to learn how it works.
Cadet Programs
The Envoy Cadet Program allows you to earn financial assistance and receive health and travel benefits while flying as an instructor. Once you're at Envoy, you'll then be able to flow through to American Airlines.
Direct Programs
Partnerships with Spirit, Frontier, Avelo, and Sun Country allow ATP instructors to fast track their career and go straight to the Airbus and Boeing flight deck as a First Officer at 1,500 hours.
Airline assistance programs vary by airline.
Begin flying as an airline pilot with one of ATP's airline partners, who provide you with a direct path to the major airlines.
Your Path to the Majors ATP's Airline Hiring Partnerships
After gaining 1,500 hours of flight time, you are ready to move on to the airlines. ATP's hiring partnerships set the foundation for your career success, providing the fastest path to all major airlines and multiple options on how to get there. With 38 airline, cargo, and corporate operator partnerships, you'll be able to take advantage of tuition reimbursement and cadet programs, corporate pathway programs, as well as direct programs allowing you to go straight to the A320 and B737.
Ongoing Career Support
ATP's Career Services team is ready to assist you after you graduate with locating entry-level job opportunities or charting your path to the major airlines through one of ATP's airline partners.
Ongoing career support and mentorship is provided through the no-fee ATP Alumni Association, giving you the opportunity to attend exclusive alumni events and take advantage of exclusive discounts for resume and interview prep services.
