Airline Transport Pilot Exam
The Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate requires the highest qualifications and standards set by the FAA. The ATP certificate is required to operate transport category aircraft for scheduled air carriers as well as other operations. If a career in aviation is an ultimate goal, the ATP certificate will be a must at some point.
Basic Requirements:
- Be at least 23 years of age (at the time of the ATP practical test).
- Be able to read, write, and converse in the English language.
- Be of good moral character.
- Hold at least a commercial pilot certificate and an instrument rating or a foreign ATP or commercial pilot license.
- Hold at least a current FAA third-class medical certificate. Later, if your flying requires an ATP certificate, you must hold a first-class medical certificate.
- Pass a pilot knowledge test with a score of 70% or better. The ATP and aircraft dispatcher tests consist of 80 multiple-choice questions (except that the ATP airplane- added rating consists of 50 questions) selected from the airplane-related questions in the FAA's ATP, aircraft dispatcher, and flight navigator knowledge test bank.
- A knowledge test is not required for you to add another aircraft type rating to your ATP certificate if your ATP certificate lists the aircraft category and class rating that is appropriate to the type rating sought.
- Accumulate flight experience in accord with FAR 61.159. New changes, and flight time requirements! Call or email us for details if you have any questions.
- Successfully complete a practical flight test.
The Airline Transport Pilot checkride involves an oral exam followed by the flight portion. The oral portion will take about two hours, the flight about an hour and a half or so. The total time to schedule for this checkride is approximately 4 hours. This checkride can be accomplished in either a single engine or multi-engine airplane. The ATP checkride will really cover much of what was done with your instrument rating exam, but again, held to much higher standards and tighter tolerances during the flight.
To see specifically what will be covered during the checkride under the NEW airman certification standards for the ATP, you may click on the link below...
