ATP-The Ultimate IPC

A good friend of mine is a physician and a pilot. (No, there isnt a Bonanza in his hangar; he happily flies a Mooney Ovation.) Ive always found him to be a very safety-conscious pilot. He gets an IPC every six months and does other periodic training. When he wanted to do something different, I suggested he get an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. (ATP-SEL) Why? was his first reaction. I dont need it for the kind of flying I do.

lbencini-tibo

Sunday, February 04, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Single pilot jets

Key Takeaways:

The Airline Transport Pilot - Single Engine Land (ATP-SEL) certificate, while having limited direct operational uses, significantly enhances a pilot's aeronautical knowledge and proficiency.
Earning the ATP-SEL requires extensive flight experience (1500 total hours, including 500 cross-country, 100 night, 75 instrument, and 50 SEL), holding a Commercial SEL certificate with an instrument rating, and passing both a knowledge and practical test.
The practical test involves commercial-level maneuvers performed under simulated instrument conditions and demands stricter performance standards (e.g., CDI deflection limits) compared to an instrument rating.
Prospective ATP-SEL applicants should be mindful of the unique ATP cross-country time definition (50 NM straight-line distance, no landing required) and the potential difficulty in locating a qualified examiner.

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Agood friend of mine is a physician and a pilot. (No, there isn’t a Bonanza in his hangar; he happily flies a Mooney Ovation.) I’ve always found him to be a very safety-conscious pilot. He gets an IPC every six months and does other periodic training. When he wanted to do something different, I suggested he get an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. (ATP-SEL) “Why?” was his first reaction. “I don’t need it for the kind of flying I do.”

An ATP is required for Part 121 (scheduled and non-scheduled airline) and most Part 135 (commuter and on-demand) operations. However, 14 CFR 121.159 explicitly forbids the use of single-engine aircraft in Part 121, so an ATP-SEL has admittedly limited incremental uses.