The R-ATP Comes with Rules

College degrees do not guarantee automatic airline transport pilot certification.

Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at 02:39 PM ET

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Some graduates find this out the hard way, after they've spent $100,000 on an aviation degree from a two- or four-year program. [Credit: Pixabay/Elly]

Key Takeaways:

Many aviation students with college degrees mistakenly assume they qualify for the Restricted Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) certificate with reduced flight hours, only to find their program lacks the required FAA approval.
To qualify for an R-ATP with fewer than 1,500 flight hours, both the college/university's curriculum and the associated Part 141 flight training program must be specifically FAA-approved and documented by official Letters of Authorization (LOAs).
A lawsuit against the University of Memphis illustrates students being allegedly misled about their degree's R-ATP eligibility, emphasizing the importance of verifying a school's specific FAA approval for the program.
As airlines increasingly drop degree requirements, aspiring pilots are advised to thoroughly verify R-ATP program approval and consider having "fallback" career skills in addition to their aviation training.

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Just as a college degree does not automatically guarantee a job, there are aviation students who are learning that a college degree does not automatically guarantee they qualify for the airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate with less than 1,500 flight hours.

The college or university curriculum has to be approved by the FAA and the school approved for the restricted ATP (R-ATP), which will lead to fewer hours needing to be acquired.