Flight Training - November 2013 - 46

CAREER PILOT»

THE ATP CTP CANNOT BE A PRODUCT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
FBO UNLESS IT IS AN FAA-APPROVED PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL.
Starting in July 2014, the only
route to the ATP certificate is
through the ATP CTP. Gone are
the days when one could cram for
the knowledge test by diving into a
Gleim book and prep for the flight
test in a Piper Seminole. According to the AC, the ATP CTP is a
prerequisite for the FAA’s highest
certificate and includes at least 30
hours of ground training. The training program will impart conceptual
knowledge through academics and
consolidate that knowledge through
training in a flight simulation training device (FSTD).
The list of required academics
for the ground training is daunting:
eight hours of aerodynamics; two
hours of meteorology; 14 hours of

air carrier operations; and six hours
of leadership/professional development, crew resource management,
and safety culture.
Who develops and provides the
training? Part 121, 135, 141, or 142
certificate holders. The ATP CTP
cannot be a product developed by
the neighborhood FBO or even a
name-brand flight academy unless
it is an FAA-approved Part 141
flight school. The agency’s complex
approval process involves initial
review by the company’s FAA
Principal Operations Inspector, the
Inspector’s Region, and then FAA
headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Even if a Part 141 aviation college
or university flight program crafts
the ATP CTP for delivery of the

academics, there is the question of
instructor qualifications. From the
AC: “… all instructors of the ATP
CTP must hold an ATP certificate
with an airplane category multiengine class rating and have at least
two years of air carrier experience.” So, a Ph.D. teaching aviation
courses on campus without any
airline background is disqualified
unless he or she is under the supervision of someone who has the
background. Simulator instructors
must be type-rated in the aircraft.
These requirements could be a
boon to retired airline pilots, who
could impart their knowledge and
experience on campus.
The deal breaker for most
interested institutions is this from
the AC: “As stated in 61.156(b), the
ATP CTP must include at least 10
hours of training in an FSTD, quali-

CAREER ADVISOR

DEGREES AND EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS

Is a college degree necessary to get to the regionals?
» By Wayne Phillips

» Q: I am 24 years old and a high school
graduate. For the past three years, I have
been flight instructing at a local FBO and
flying charter in a King Air. I am applying
to the regional airlines. I know that there
are ways for me to earn a college degree
at a local community college or online,
but I don’t have the time or motivation to
devote to studies. Do I really need a degree
to make it as an airline pilot?—John from
Poplar Grove, Illinois

» A: You do not need a college degree

to succeed at all levels of the airline
industry, but it’s worth noting that college
graduates occupy the flight decks at the
largest airlines.
More than 90 percent of the pilots at
companies like United, Delta, American,
and others have graduated from a college
or university. However, it is interesting
to note that a significant number of indi-

46 /

FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

viduals major in areas other than aviation.
I know pilots flying for the legacy carriers
who are accountants, dentists, smallbusiness owners, and even one who has
majored in music.
Not everyone aspires to flying for the
mega-airlines. I met a SkyWest captain
several years ago who said, “I’m not going
anywhere! I enjoy this company so much
and the people whom I work with that I
am quite happy right here. I could make
more bucks at a behemoth airline, but then
all I am is a number on a list. I feel like I
am a part of something at SkyWest.” Many
regional airlines do not require a degreed
pilot. But, read on for some insight.
Throughout the 1980s and most of the
1990s, Capt. Bill Traub was vice president
of flight standards and training at United
Airlines. Traub graduated Brown University with a degree in economics.
Traub suggests that pilots planning

a career use college to develop general
attributes that are essential for airline
employment as well as valuable assets in
any field of endeavor. “Maturity, leadership, the ability to work in a team or
social situation, and organizational skills
are all areas that United looks at. Lacking
in any one of these areas is a ‘show stopper’ for us. Students should take every
opportunity to develop these strengths
through their academic life.”
So, can you move forward without the
sheepskin? Certainly. If you have weighed
all factors carefully and you still opt out
of pursuing a college degree, at least ask
yourself “What if?” If you can supply
a satisfactory answer that will provide
long-term security for you and your family, then go forth.
Send your career questions to careers@aopa.org
and we’ll publish the best ones here.


http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

Flight Training - November 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - November 2013

Flight Training - November 2013
Contents
Member Benefits
Right Seat
Centerline
Letters
A Small Contribution
Success Story
How it Works
News
Training Products
ASI News
Final Exam
Tech Tip
Flight Lesson
Flying Carpet
ONE WHEEL DOWN
AVIATION ETIQUETTE
NO BIG DEAL
TECHNIQUE
Weather
Checkride
ATP Me
Career Advisor
Tech Talk
Aviation Badges of Honor
Let Me Make This Perfectly Clear
Advertiser Index
Debrief
Flight Training - November 2013 - Flight Training - November 2013
Flight Training - November 2013 - Cover2
Flight Training - November 2013 - Contents
Flight Training - November 2013 - 2
Flight Training - November 2013 - 3
Flight Training - November 2013 - Member Benefits
Flight Training - November 2013 - 5
Flight Training - November 2013 - Right Seat
Flight Training - November 2013 - 7
Flight Training - November 2013 - Centerline
Flight Training - November 2013 - 9
Flight Training - November 2013 - Letters
Flight Training - November 2013 - 11
Flight Training - November 2013 - A Small Contribution
Flight Training - November 2013 - 13
Flight Training - November 2013 - Success Story
Flight Training - November 2013 - How it Works
Flight Training - November 2013 - News
Flight Training - November 2013 - 17
Flight Training - November 2013 - Training Products
Flight Training - November 2013 - ASI News
Flight Training - November 2013 - Final Exam
Flight Training - November 2013 - Tech Tip
Flight Training - November 2013 - Flight Lesson
Flight Training - November 2013 - 23
Flight Training - November 2013 - Flying Carpet
Flight Training - November 2013 - 25
Flight Training - November 2013 - ONE WHEEL DOWN
Flight Training - November 2013 - 27
Flight Training - November 2013 - 28
Flight Training - November 2013 - 29
Flight Training - November 2013 - 30
Flight Training - November 2013 - 31
Flight Training - November 2013 - AVIATION ETIQUETTE
Flight Training - November 2013 - 33
Flight Training - November 2013 - 34
Flight Training - November 2013 - 35
Flight Training - November 2013 - NO BIG DEAL
Flight Training - November 2013 - 37
Flight Training - November 2013 - 38
Flight Training - November 2013 - 39
Flight Training - November 2013 - TECHNIQUE
Flight Training - November 2013 - 41
Flight Training - November 2013 - Weather
Flight Training - November 2013 - 43
Flight Training - November 2013 - Checkride
Flight Training - November 2013 - ATP Me
Flight Training - November 2013 - Career Advisor
Flight Training - November 2013 - 47
Flight Training - November 2013 - Tech Talk
Flight Training - November 2013 - Aviation Badges of Honor
Flight Training - November 2013 - 50
Flight Training - November 2013 - Let Me Make This Perfectly Clear
Flight Training - November 2013 - Advertiser Index
Flight Training - November 2013 - 53
Flight Training - November 2013 - 54
Flight Training - November 2013 - 55
Flight Training - November 2013 - Debrief
Flight Training - November 2013 - Cover3
Flight Training - November 2013 - Cover4
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