Flight Training Timeline

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 before moving on to cross-country and accomplishing your first solo.

After earning your Private Pilot Certificate, instrument procedures are introduced while logging PIC and cross-country flight time.

What's Included

• Private Pilot iPad Home Study & Briefings
• King Schools Courseware
• Private Pilot Airplane Knowledge Test (PAR)
• Single-Engine Flight Instruction
• Single-Engine Solo Flights

Aircraft Flown

• Cessna 172; or
• Piper Archer

Certificate Earned

• Private Pilot (with single-engine privileges)

From a Student's Perspective:

Full immersion is an understatement... Two weeks into the program and I've done nothing but lived and breathed aviation – loving every minute. During the private pilot stage, my days start off with self-study, using King Schools Courseware. Here I'm learning all of the fundamentals of flying, which I'm confident is setting the foundation for the rest of my training. Mid-afternoon, I meet with my flight instructor for a preflight briefing and to go over a few questions I ran into during my self-study session. With questions answered and lesson objectives covered, I head out to preflight the aircraft at about 4pm. I'm excited for the flight ahead, as it is sure to be plenty full of stalls, slow-flight, ground reference maneuvers, and inevitably finishing with a round of landings.

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Typical Training Day5 Days Per Week

• SSB: Self-Study & Briefings
• B: Briefing
• S: Sim
• F: Flight
• G: Ground

Learn more about required availability.

Time Away from Primary Training CenterSome Time Away 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.

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.

What's Included:

• Instrument iPad Home Study & Briefings
• Instrument Rating Airplane Knowledge Test (IRA)
• Instrument Single-Engine Flight Instruction
• Scenario-Based FTD Training
• Crew Procedures & LOFT FTD Training

Aircraft Flown

• Cessna 172; or
• Piper Archer

Rating Earned

• Instrument Rating

From a Student's Perspective:

So far the instrument rating stage of training has been the most demanding. After private pilot training, I am confident in my ability to safely fly the aircraft and so now the focus is on learning the procedures necessary to fly an airplane by instruments only, with no outside visual reference. Each day is intensive, starting off with self-study and a briefing in the morning, followed by taking what was learned and running through the procedures in the simulator. After a short break my instructor and I head out in the aircraft to run through holds, approaches, and emergency procedures. The long flight is grueling and tests your ability as a pilot, but after the flight, and at end of each day, the sense of accomplishment is unparalleled.

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Typical Training Day5 Days Per Week

• SSB: Self-Study & Briefings
• B: Briefing
• S: Sim
• F: Flight
• G: Ground

Learn more about required availability.

Time Away from Primary Training CenterSome Time Away 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.

Upon earning an Instrument Rating, students begin the crew-style cross-country phase of their training. Here you will be paired with a fellow pilot and fly as pilot-in-command to a variety of destinations near and far, dictated by operational needs. This crew-style flying requires a level of currency, proficiency, and standardization that defines ATP's excellence in flight training.

All cross-country flights (flights greater than 50 nautical miles) are operated in an airline-style environment using crew resource management and standard operating procedures, as well as enhanced scheduling with flight releases to assist with weather, routing, and performance reviews. ATP's specialized Flight Operations team ensure safety and support through scheduling and monitoring all flights around-the-clock.

Aircraft Flown

• Cessna 172; or
• Piper Archer

From a Student's Perspective:

The cross-country stage of my training has felt like a much-needed vacation and has been a once in a lifetime experience. Today I woke up, and at about 6am met with my training partner at the airport – planning for a 7am wheels-up departure. We left Phoenix and headed off to Los Angeles (Riverside to be exact), where we grabbed a quick bite to eat before departing to Las Vegas – finally returning home at around 5pm. Each day has been new and different; nothing beats waking up each morning and flying to a different destination.

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Typical Training Day7 Days Per Week

• SSB: Self-Study & Briefings
• B: Briefing
• S: Sim
• F: Flight
• G: Ground

Learn more about required availability.

Time Away from Primary Training CenterUp to Three Weeks

During the Crew-Style Cross-Country stage of training, expect to be away from your primary training center for a few weeks.

After completing the Cross-Country flying stage, students will transition to the multi-engine Piper Seminole, as well as undergo further training in single-engine aircraft, in preparation for their single- and multi-engine Commercial Pilot Certificate, eventually allowing them to be paid to fly. 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.

What's Included:

• Commercial Pilot Airplane Knowledge Test (CAX)
• Commercial Multi-Engine Flight Instruction
• Commercial Single-Engine Flight Instruction

Aircraft Flown

• Piper Seminole; and
• Cessna 172; or
• Piper Archer

Certificate Earned

• Commercial Pilot (with single- and multi-engine privileges)

From a Student's Perspective:

After exploring different locations during the cross-country stage, it was time to get back to work and start the next step of training – transitioning to multi-engine aircraft and becoming a commercial pilot. In the morning, I met with my training partner, where we spent an hour and half studying multi-engine aerodynamics. The plan for the afternoon is a mix of simulator work and actual flying, practicing engine failure procedures and multi-engine commercial maneuvers.

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Typical Training Day5 Days Per Week

• SSB: Self-Study & Briefings
• B: Briefing
• S: Sim
• F: Flight
• G: Ground

Learn more about required availability.

Time Away from Primary Training CenterSome Time Away May Be Required

To keep your training on time, the commercial pilot checkrides 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.

The final two months 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 the ability to effectively teach and communicate all the knowledge and experience they have attained throughout the program.

Upon successful completion, the next step after graduating from the Airline Career Pilot Program is to build experience and flight time as a CFI. Airline Career Pilot Program graduates are guaranteed a paid instructor job with ATP, earning up to $42,000 annually with airline tuition reimbursement.

What's Included:

• CFI Academy
• Fundamentals of Instruction Knowledge Test
• Flight Instructor Airplane Knowledge Test
• Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane Knowledge Test
• CFI iPad Home Study & Briefings
• Multi-Engine CFI Flight Instruction
• Single-Engine CFI Flight Instruction
• Instrument CFI Flight Instruction

Aircraft Flown

• Piper Seminole; and
• Cessna 172; or
• Piper Archer

Certificate Earned

• Certificated Flight Instructor (with single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument privileges)

From a Student's Perspective:

One week to go until I complete the program... My time in the program has gone by so quickly and CFI Academy went by even faster. This is the sprint to the finish line and my days here have consisted of trying to take all of the knowledge and skills I've gained over the course of training, and be able to effectively and concisely teach it to others. Luckily, I'm with a great group of fellow students who, with support of my instructors, have enabled me to pass my initial instructor checkride. The program has been as equally challenging as rewarding, and the total immersion, fast-track training has allowed me to build a strong foundation of knowledge and skill that I know will be with me throughout my entire airline career.

Highly-Qualified Instructors

ATP's staff of experienced CFI Academy instructors are among the most highly-qualified and bring you an immense depth of knowledge and instructional insight. Acknowledging this, ATP's CFI Academy Standardization Manager, Todd Shellnutt, was voted "Best Flight Instructor" and also later received the Distinguished Flight Instructor award in the AOPA Flight Training Excellence Awards.

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Typical Training Day5 Days Per Week

• SSB: Self-Study & Briefings
• B: Briefing
• S: Sim
• F: Flight
• G: Ground

Learn more about required availability.

Time Away from Primary Training CenterUp to One Month

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.

As an Airline Career Pilot Program graduate you are guaranteed one of the most desired flight instructor jobs in the country, where you can earn up to $42,000 annually with airline tuition reimbursement and build flight experience faster than anywhere else.

Benefits of Instructing with ATP

• Earn up to $42,000 annually with airline tuition reimbursement, based on how much you fly.
• Opportunity to instruct at any of ATP’s 39 flight training centers nationwide.
• Gain ATP’s assistance with regional airline job placement.
• Build multi-engine and total time quickly to meet airline and corporate hiring minimums.
• Multi-engine dual experience rapidly moves you to the top
• Work with dedicated, motivated students.
• Fly the largest fleet of standardized multi-engine aircraft.
• Free housing available during CFI SE and CFII training in Jacksonville, FL or Phoenix, AZ.
• Housing, furnished with no lease obligation, is available at training centers for reduced rates.

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Guarantee Eligibility

Airline Career Pilot Program graduates must meet the following requirements to be eligible for guaranteed instructor job placement:

1. Graduate from the Fast Track Airline Career Pilot Program
2. Attend scheduled training events on time and meet knowledge test deadlines
3. Fail no more than two checkrides (three or more checkride failures will require special review and may prevent your eligibility for guaranteed instructor job placement)
4. Demonstrate professionalism, adherence to standard operating procedures, and uncompromising attention to safety at all times
5. Have no prohibitive items on a ten-year background check, as required for airline employment
6. Upon completion of your initial CFI rating, and prior to commencing training for additional instructor ratings, accept an instructor position at an agreed upon ATP Training Center.

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Airlines have selected ATP as a preferred training provider to build their pilot pipelines with the best training, offering ATP graduates tuition reimbursement.

As an Airline Career Pilot Program graduate, you can begin taking advantage of this program between 300-500 hours total flight time. Here's how it works:

Step 1: Airline Career Pilot Program

Graduate from the Airline Career Pilot Program with CFIs.

Step 2: Build Experience as a Flight Instructor

Become a flight instructor with ATP — guaranteed instructor job for Airline Career Pilot Program graduates.

Step 3: Airline Interview & Airline Tuition Reimbursement

As an instructor, interview with your airline. If you accept the airline's offer, they make a financial contribution toward your loan payment and you make a commitment to fly for that airline. Depending on your airline of choice, you my also be eligible for airline health and travel benefits.

Step 4: Airline Pilot Job Placement

About two years after starting flight training, and with approximately $5,000 in airline tuition assistance received, you start new hire class with your airline.

Participating Airlines

ATP is working with more airlines to join the program. Request more info for notification when new airlines join the program.

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