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Airline Transport Professionals

Preparing pilots for professional airline careers since 1984

While it eagerly awaits its D-JETs, ATP is already performing airline-style jet training in its five regional jet fixed-base simulators, which provide excellent transitional training for prospective regional new hires. "Once students go through our RJ program, they are proving to be ideal candidates for the regional jobs—even over some of the higher-time pilots who apply. This allows us to maintain strong relationships with the leading regional airlines," he added.

ATP offers numerous resources to prospective students who want to learn more about airline pilot careers and choose a flight school. Their Pilot Career Coach forums at www.beanairlinepilot.com allow anyone an opportunity to talk with past graduates who are now flying professionally with regionals, majors and corporate operators. Arnold explained that ATP feels it's important for their prospective students to learn as much about the profession as possible.
Arnold also said that ATP designed its fast-track program around a total-immersion model where students train from private multi to commercial pilot with CFI certificates in just 90 days. But he was quick to stress that, "Just because you train fast doesn't mean the quality is any less; consider that military pilots go from zero time to flying jets in about the same time. By flying every single day, knowledge retention is higher and muscle memory develops faster," he said. "It has proven to be the most effective training model." Aside from the learning benefits of a fast-track program, there are real career benefits, as well.

You've heard that in the airline business "seniority is everything," but what does that mean to you, a potential career-pilot student?

"In the airline business, everything about your pilot career is based on the concept of seniority. The faster you get hired, the faster you build seniority. In a strictly unionized workforce, your seniority is what offers you all the quality-of-life improvements you want: getting your optimal schedule, working 15 days a month, earning more, upgrading to larger jets, flying exotic international routes and, in bad times, avoiding a furlough," Arnold said. "This traces back to our fast-track training model, where pilots graduate with a commercial pilot certificate and certified flight instructor certificate with multi-engine and instrument ratings. It's very realistic in the current hiring market to attain that airline job in about one year."

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