The school recently earned its restricted ATP training certification, a three-step, multiyear process that allows students to earn the restricted ATP status in 1,250 hours. Pilots need to attain ATP status — logging 1,500 flight hours — in order to become captains for commercial airlines.
Fox Valley Technical College Chief Instructor of Aeronautics Jared Huss said the restricted ATP will allow students to get into the field with 1,250 hours and work as first officers for an airline, then continue logging hours until they reach 1,500 hours. At that point they'll earn full ATP status.
Getting in the field sooner can take one to two years off a student's training time, he said, which can lead to other perks.
"The advantage to getting the airline job sooner is you get that seniority number sooner at the airline," he said. "Seniority really dictates everything, from quality of life to where your based, what your pay is, schedule, all that stuff."
He added the certification is a small piece of a solution to a major issue in the aviation industry: there are not enough trained pilots to take over the seats of pilots who are retiring in coming years.
He said the technical college joins an elite group of schools that offer the restricted ATP. There are only a handful nationwide and one other school in Wisconsin, Gateway Technical College in Kenosha.
The process to earn ATP training status began in fall of 2013, Huss said. Fox Valley Technical College had to completely rebuild its flight training program from the ground up to meet Federal Aviation Administration requirements. Then the program had to be approved by both the FAA and the Wisconsin Technical College System.
The school passed with flying colors — the FAA requires schools to have an 80 percent first-time pass rate or better. Fox Valley Technical College scored 92 percent.
"I think it speaks volumes to the high quality training and the commitment we have to our students' success," Huss said.
Fox Valley Technical College student Sam Smith said he's eager to earn his ATP status. The freshman from Green Lake said he's been dreaming of becoming a pilot since age 5.
"I love the feeling of being able to hop in an airplane and go wherever you want," he said.
Smith wants to fly for a commercial airline so he can travel and work at the same time, he said. Having already logged about 70 hours in the air, the 18-year-old said the new certification will help him get there faster.
"I'm definitely ready," he said. "I don't want to rush through it cause I still want to get quality training, but I'm definitely ready to get out and start flying, start making money doing it."
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