Career Insight: Eye on the prize

That’s because to fly for an airline in the United States, pilots are now required to have an airline transport pilot certificate, and the requirements for that certificate vary depending on where you train. But, let’s start at the beginning.

The ATP certificate is a must for anyone planning to fly for a scheduled airline or as a charter captain. That’s almost all professional pilots. Previously, all ATPs were the same. The certificate—then required for airline captains, but not first officers—required 1,500 flight hours, you had to be age 23, and a knowledge test was necessary in order to take the practical test.

Things changed dramatically in 2013 when Congress passed a law that required the ATP certificate for airline first officers. This requirement, made in response to a fatal airline accident, means that even when hiring is strong at the airlines, all applicants must wait until reaching that 1,500-hour threshold. Previous hiring booms produced first officers with far fewer flight hours.

Included in the law, which took effect in 2014, were a series of provisions that gave credit for training or experience gained in the military, at a four-year aviation college, and at a two-year aviation college. The implications were clear. If getting to the airlines as fast as possible is the goal—and it should be if you know you want to make a career of it—obtaining training and degrees at a four-year aviation school, and to a lesser extent a two-year aviation school, is a smart investment. An additional year of profit sharing and investments earned as an airline pilot could more than pay for the additional training costs and tuition of a four-year college.

ATP CTP

Before a pilot can obtain a multiengine airplane ATP, he or she must take the dreaded ATP Certification Training Program. This five-day course is required prior to taking the ATP knowledge test. It covers advanced knowledge areas and includes some basic simulator training. The good news is that many airlines pay for the course as part of their approved training programs. The bad news is that not all jobs will pay, or they may require a work commitment if they do pay. A list of approved programs is available on the FAA’s website.

Assuming you meet the ATP eligibility requirements, you’ll then need to take the ATP CTP course, pass the knowledge test, and then pass the practical test. Check with the airlines you are interested in working for to see how much of that process is covered in training in order to avoid paying out of pocket.

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