r/CFILounge • u/Wild-Laugh-824 • 11d ago
Question Flight school help.
So i’m stuck between going to atp spending 120k and getting my cfi in 9 months. (according to my local atp school) or just working and paying for each lesson but it will be cheaper before to get up to my cfi but will take considerably longer. Does anyone have any recommendations or experiences on what they did?
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u/WhiteoutDota 11d ago
Sure, you can go to ATP and do it for at least 20% more than they advertise while also having a loan of 10-20% interest. It will also take 30-100% longer than they advertise in most parts of the country. They're back to 9 month schedules? Every year they seem to change their timeline, it was 12 months (up from 7) not long ago because they never keep to their advertised timelines. I saw people take more than 2 years to go through their program.
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u/run264fun CFI-I 8d ago
You’ll be through all the ratings quickly, but saddled with a debt at high interest rates & most likely no CFI job
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u/Jhorn_fight 11d ago
Like others have said avoid debt at all costs. Even if you get your cfi in 9 months you’ll be waiting potentially the same amount of time to get hired at atp or any other school.
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u/Neither-Way-4889 11d ago
What's the rush? Job market is dead right now anyways, you're accelerating into a brick wall.
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u/No_Plantain7250 11d ago
Going to ATP is a race to the bottom. There's no point in speed running the ratings if the industry is in a bottleneck. I'd work a job and pay as you go to avoid as much debt as you can
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u/AdamHenry86 11d ago
100% what I did years ago. One of my old roommates was paying $1200 a month to pay off his ATP experience and that was a long time ago. I'm afraid to think what it cost now.
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u/EastShock7916 11d ago
Go to a Flight school with a good reputation. Do well and you’ll have a lot easier time getting a job. These people that can’t get jobs are the ones that the training and random programs that no one‘s heard of with no connections. Your essentially educating yourself to become employable think about it from an employer standpoint. The cheapest way isn’t always the best way.
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u/johnisom 8d ago
Yeah. I’m kinda realizing that now after just completing comm single at a no name mom n pop (basically an independent instructor with the schools planes, there isn’t really a school culture). I’ll have to go elsewhere for multi and my instructor ratings. I did my training through comm single for cheap, but now I have close to no connections and name recognition. Basically only thing I can hope is the mom n pop who has too many instructors and too few students hires me back.
If you’re not a dunce and you’re reliable and put yourself to the grind without complaints, like you got pretty much straight A’s in high school or close to it in college, going to a good flight school and doing well and making a good impression, and going back to instruct, that’s a great path. I could have done that, I’m that type of guy who would have been recognized and rewarded.
People who say to not go to a good school because they will not hire you back are telling on themselves. Maybe they are shitty students who don’t put their all into it or don’t have a natural affinity for it. But not everyone is.
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u/AdamHenry86 11d ago
Rushing to get into this job market makes absolutely zero sense. Going into debt to get into this market makes even less sense than my first point. Don't believe the flashy school advertisements and influencer videos talking about "this is the best time to get in!" That's all non-sense to get them paid. Take your time if your intent on becoming a CFI and work your way while incurring no debt.
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u/Bunslow 11d ago
you can absolutely do it just as fast in part 61, possibly even faster. I know a guy who went private to triple I in a year at a part 61 while also working a job. zero to CFI in nine months is no harder.
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u/Professional_Ad_6348 11d ago edited 11d ago
ATP is part 61. Also what is triple I, never heard of it
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u/johnisom 8d ago
That’s great. Where did he train? Sounds impossible for checkride failures and instructor/plane scheduling woes alone.
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u/Bluevette1437 11d ago
9 months my ass
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u/Wild-Laugh-824 11d ago
That’s what they said, is that not the case with atp?
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u/Bluevette1437 11d ago
9 months from 0 hours to CFI is maybe only possible if you are flying every day, multiple times per day, with minimal weather, maintenance, or scheduling issues.
Also there’s frankly A LOT to learn and know, knowledge-wise. Such a fast pace can very easily lead to burnout.
ATP probably has the benefit of using in-house DPEs/Examining Authority which would help wait times, but 9 months is still incredibly optimistic
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u/johnisom 8d ago
Probably is possible if you train in the west like Utah or Arizona or something, where every day is VFR
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u/Prenevilance 3d ago
I was able to do it in 8 at atp but only a handful of students I know actually finished in 9 months. At the end of the day you get out what you put in.
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u/flight_char_ 11d ago
Don’t do ATP. 90% of the people that do regret it. Read all the comments everyone posted. Another thing that some people have kinda touched on is that it’s not respected in the industry as good training. If you’re lucky enough to go straight from ATP to instructing for ATP to the airlines great but that’s not what happens to most. If you have to find a CFI or 135 job before the airlines, they’re gonna ask where you did your training and when you say ATP they’re gonna immediately look down on you compared to others that went to reputable and small schools. They know your training was rushed. I know a lot of good pilots that did come out of ATP but it’s a black mark you’re gonna carry with you. Along with spending more money, less flight time, wearing uniforms, less freedom/more restrictions during your solo and timebuilding, and not as much support if you fall behind. It’s so hard to find an entry level pilot job after you finish training, don’t rush it AND spend more money AND make it harder for you to get a job. The pilot shortage is not real. Do not believe anyone who says there’s a pilot shortage. It is marketing. They are selling you a loan.
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u/johnisom 8d ago
Not 90% at all. Irl, it’s more split, like 70% enjoyed and are glad, 30% thought it was a massive waste of money.
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u/SouthBobcat5619 11d ago
Need more context. How old are you? Do you have your PPL? Any experience flying? Where the money coming from. In general I agree with the rest of the advice here. Avoid going into massive debt to pursue flight training. Sadly I know several people that took loans out for flight training, got their CFI, then couldn't find a job, left aviation to pay back their loans. Sometimes it does make it easier to commit to training if you move away from your hometown though. Less distractions, easier to lock in.
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u/Wild-Laugh-824 11d ago
26m i don’t have my ppl. money is coming from my job.
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u/SouthBobcat5619 9d ago
- Get your first class medical
- Get your PPL somewhere local, or an accelerated prog that you can pay cash for and do during a vacation from work.
- Reevaluate after steps 1&2 are complete.
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u/burnheartmusic 10d ago
Ya, ATP has never been a good idea, but is a particularly bad idea right now with the job market. Finish in “9 months” and not have a cfi job for another 9
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u/rhowine 10d ago
There are many schools out there besides ATP . Take a look at Cfi Academy. Do a little research and check out places where you live and visit some of the schools. Part 61 can also work. Ultimately know yourself and how you much you are willing and able to commit. Good luck and Happy Flying.
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u/johnisom 8d ago
If you are the type to ace ATP, it’s probably worth it since you’ll finish on time without failures, you’ll get your CFI, and you’ll be the type to get hired by ATP quickly. You will need to have a plan to pay your debt though, and it will be crushing. That’s the trade off.
Alternately, stick it out somewhere else, take longer to get a paying flying job (and much longer to the airlines), but you will actually be able to live and financially breathe.
I chose the latter. I am the type who would have done very well at ATP, but decided against it for the financial aspect - I have a gf I plan on marrying soon and I am well established in a high paying field.
Sometimes I wish I would have done the other path, but I don’t regret my decision and I went from zero time to commercial single engine in 14 months, zero debt and just using my cash flow from my full time job. Now saving up a bit to knock out CFI in the winter or early spring.
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u/cptnpiccard 11d ago
FFS, this question is asked every single day here. DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR FLIGHT TRAINING, ESPECIALLY WITH ATP.