ATP Flight School has joined with low-cost startup airline Avelo to provide “an innovative solution to pilots looking to accelerate their careers while providing Avelo with a steady flow of qualified applicants during the present pilot shortage.”
Under terms of the Avelo Direct Program, ab initio students begin their training at one of ATP’s 70 locations nationwide. After an estimated seven months of airline-specific focused flight training, graduates will emerge with commercial certificates with multi-engine and instructor ratings. They can then go to work at ATP as instructors, with an eye toward accumulating the requisite 1,500 hours of flight time for the airline transport pilot rating. Avelo Direct Program participants “can advance to a first-officer position with the airline,” according to ATP Flight School.
Andrew Lotter, VP Flight Operations Avelo Airlines, said, “We feel with the high caliber individuals involved in this program that this will be an integral part of our pilot hiring plan.”
ATP’s FAA-approved two-week, jet-transition program at its 14 CFR Part 142 airline training center in Dallas, Texas, makes the Direct Program possible, according to the company. Candidates transition from piston aircraft to jet operations, including training in advanced avionics and automation. Students in the Avelo Direct program complete ATP’s Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP CTP). The regimen includes 10 hours of training in Boeing 737 Level 4/5/6 Flight Training Devices (FTDs) and a Level D Full Flight Simulator. Next comes eight hours logged in Boeing 737 Level 5/6 FTDs, then four more hours in a Level D Full Flight Simulator. ATP’s avionics lab comes next, with four hours’ training in the fundamentals of operating Flight Management Systems (FMSs).
Ashley Pillon, ATP Flight School’s director of airline and corporate partnerships, said, “We are proud to partner with Avelo Airlines and provide select ATP graduates a path for accelerated career advancement directly into the right seat of a Boeing 737.”
There doesn’t need to be a pilot shortage. Having young pilots fly Cessnas for 1200 to 1500 hrs doesn’t make them a better First Officer candidate.
We need to return to the old 250 hr requirement for First Officer applicants and make Captain a 1500 hr applicant requirement.
You want to fly in a jet with a 250hr wonder in the right seat, be my guest. I had my share of that when I flew Caravans. I hate having to train wonders like that in a jet things that should have been learned in flying that C172.
Agree 100%
I remember “way back when”, when Carnival [cruise line] operated an airline out of FLL (Ft. Lauderdale). If I recall correctly, they moved properly trained pilots with 400hrs total time, into the right seat of their 737-400’s. This created a great environment for “newbie’s” to make a huge jump forward in their flying career. I agree with the above comment that boring holes in the sky in your C-150 or 172 just to get the almighty 1,500hrs total time, may not be the best thing for any/all involved. Unfortunately, when “our masters” memorialize their will on the industry, the “stone tablet” is hard to change.
More dumbing down of aviation. All profit motivated changes to flight training and experience levels. Just the thought of the unsuspecting traveling public sitting in the cabin of any airliner with a 1500 hr Captain and a 250 hr F/O is terrifying. But no problem for the carriers, blame the crash on the aircraft manufactures.
I would think that ATP would teach the FMS systems before logging time in the FMS equipped Sims. Flying the jet is easy, it’s all those TV sets that are so distracting.
Faa administrators need take moment and thing and changed 1500Hours back to 250Hours
I come from a unprivileged family
I start my flight training 2009 hoping being airline pilot someday 2012 got my ppl
2013 everything went downhill over regulation none sense over this 1500 hour rule is being obstacle for me let’s get for real no body want to fly Cessna on the pattern all day everyday I refuse to teach people flight no everybody like to teach the cost training cost ton money now this days
I give guys example I got great career now truck driver I think is one the most deadly career out there I been driving rigs 3 years I been almost everywhere in this amazing country
it take guts to be truck driver
A ton of stuff you have worry about everyday example fatigue winds icing roads 14 hour work day snow storms etc more trucks driver get killed on the road everyday than airplane pilot or Arlines I witnessed many bad accident on the road.
Truck are the back bone in this country worst thing about truck driver don’t any respect honestly why the people give a lot credit to pilots truck move pretty much all the freight in the USA some much opportunity in trucking pay wage is great
Anybody can be truck driver 2 months training better pay less training.
Airlines pilot is the opposite too many hours and cheap pay even Paul Bertorelli say it before 1500 hour rule is a straight Political Movement and he is the real deal of aviation he is the lucky Luciano of aviation respect to you Sir