Once upon a time, when an aspiring flying professional sought to earn an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, that airman might curl up with a study guide for a few weeks prior to taking the exhausting written test. After plowing through hundreds of questions and answers, a pattern would develop. “Let’s see: if ‘bleed valve’ is in the first five words of the question, the answer is C.” More than a few ATPs aced their tests in 20 minutes. Of course, any assurance that depth of knowledge was assessed in a valid manner was doubtful.
The price of admission to take the test changed dramatically in 2014. That’s when, as a result of the Colgan 3407 crash in February 2009, the FAA upped the game considerably by insisting that ATP applicants have some airline type experience and knowledge before taking the ATP knowledge test.
Advisory Circular 61-138, Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP), was implemented on August 1, 2014. The AC, which supports FAR Section 61.153(e), requires advanced simulation training, including four hours in a flight training device (FTD), six hours in a full flight simulator (FFS), plus 30 hours of advanced ground school.
The regulation was issued without a means to comply with it, at least initially. By the end of 2014, it seemed the industry was rising to the challenge. The caveat for ATP-CTP development is that the program must be within a certificated entity such as an FAR 141 flight school; FAR 142 training center; FAR 121 airline; or FAR 135 air carrier. The instructors need to have current or former line experience. As a result, three ATP-CTP resources have materialized: colleges and universities; commercial providers; and airlines.
Not surprisingly, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was the first training provider in the nation to get the FAA’s approval for the ATP-CTP. However, the program is offered only to degree-seeking students enrolled at the school.
Other aviation colleges and universities, such as Florida Institute of Technology, are developing ATP-CTP programs and, most assuredly, the industry will see more university-level providers going forward. Whether such institutions will open the ATP-CTP to the public is unknown. Part of the reason that some schools are keeping the ATP-CTP closed is because many schools that do not have the training equipment of an ERAU are compelled to associate with airline training centers such as JetBlue’s in Orlando. And there is only so much open simulator time available.
Commercial providers now are joining the fray. Sporty’s Academy offers a six-day course in association with Airborne Airlines at its training facility in Wilmington, Ohio. For $4,500, the student will receive the academic training plus experience in a DC-9 simulator.
Aerosim in Orlando is another early entrant into the ATP-CTP race. Its program is a seven-day immersion and costs $4,995. Aerosim partners with airlines like JetBlue for FTD and FFS devices.
ATP Flight School and Higher Power are collaborating for the ATP-CTP and will feature MD-80 simulators at the American Airlines Flight Academy in Dallas. The price tag for the course is around $5,000.
FlightSafety and CAE SimuFlite have received FAA approval for the ATP-CTP. The CAE program is in Dallas, and the FlightSafety ATP-CTP is located in Atlanta.
The last source for the ATP-CTP is the airlines themselves. However, only one had come to the table by the end of 2014: ExpressJet. This airline perhaps expresses the fondest wish of all future regional pilots exiting pilot training at aviation schools. Brad Sheehan, vice president of flight operations, said, “We recognize the financial burden of the ATP-CTP course on young pilots. By providing this course in-house during our new-hire classes, we can offer not only the best training, but also ensure that top future pilots have access to that training.” Potential new hires can complete the seven-day ATP-CTP offered by ExpressJet before beginning new-hire training.
The value of the ATP-CTP is yet to be determined. This requirement has put an additional financial strain on anyone heading to a career path that pays $22,000 initially. Not only are the current ATP-CTP programs being offered in the $5,000 range, but airfare, car rental, lodging, and food and incidentals can increase the overall cost by more than $1,000.
If the FAA is interested in any standardization at all, perhaps online academics will be produced so all students receive the same kind of instruction in meteorology, aerodynamics, line operations, professionalism, et cetera. Like so many FAA training programs available online (www.faasafety.gov), why not? This could result in less time at a training center and, consequently, lower cost.
See the list of ATP-CTP providers on the website.
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