ATPCTP Course or MEI?

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Pilot-To-Be

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I recently hit 1800hrs and I’m in the process of applying to various airlines. I’m trying to figure out what the biggest bang for my buck would be and what would be best at this point. Should I get my MEI or pay for the ATP-CTP course? I figure the ATPCTP would make me attractive to more employers but an MEI could help me obtain more multi engine time and such. Thoughts?
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Also one requires an expensive check ride that you could fail. If you've met the multi requirements I would just get the ATP and start networking.
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I think SPC is probably right, and he's flying a jet and not me, but I think that the MEI would probably put you in a different networking category, too, and let you get paid as you built multi hours. I spent enough getting to 50 hours that I should have gone for the MEI.
 
No wrong answer. I didn’t get the MEI until I was almost twenty years into my career. Don’t think I’ve ever logged an hour of dual given with the certification. Done a lot of instructing in twins but it was at my airline job. No MEI required.
 
Pilot-To-Be said:
I recently hit 1800hrs and I’m in the process of applying to various airlines. I’m trying to figure out what the biggest bang for my buck would be and what would be best at this point. Should I get my MEI or pay for the ATP-CTP course? I figure the ATPCTP would make me attractive to more employers but an MEI could help me obtain more multi engine time and such. Thoughts?
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How much multi time do you have?
Presumably you have your Commercial ASMEL and CFII?
Are you currently instructing? If so, does the place you're instructing have a twin? What are the minimum insurance requirements to give instruction in it, and do you meet them?

If you have <=10 hours multi (ie, you only got your rating and nothing else), and you're already instructing at a place that has a twin that you'll be able to teach in, get the MEI. You need 50 hours of multi time to get the ATP, and it is very expensive to come by on your own - In fact, I am likely going to go do a jet type rating because it's actually cheaper than renting a twin and taking the ATP checkride on my own. Crazy.

Otherwise, if you have <=25 hours of multi but don't have the ability to build twin time solo where you are, you might as well get the MEI on your way to the 25 hours. The ATP requires you to have 50 hours of multi time, but up to 25 of that can be in a sim. The rest must be in an airplane, but twins aren't easy to find nor cheap, so make that time count! It will likely be closely scrutinized during the hiring process.

That said - The ATP-CTP is a requirement if you want a job that requires an ATP, and very few places are paying for it any more. If it's got to be one or the other and not both, absolutely the ATP-CTP is the one to get.
 
Brad W said:
what is CTP?
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ATP Certification Training Program. It's what Congress mandated as a result of Colgan 3407.

It's a 40-hour course - 30 classroom and 10 sim - that attempts to bridge the sizable gap between sitting in the right seat of a 172 and sitting in the right seat of a transport category jet, as well as to address some other important things that could have been missed along the way.

The requirement took effect on August 1, 2014 and the gory details are in 14 CFR 61.156.
 
Pilot-To-Be said:
I recently hit 1800hrs and I’m in the process of applying to various airlines. I’m trying to figure out what the biggest bang for my buck would be and what would be best at this point. Should I get my MEI or pay for the ATP-CTP course? I figure the ATPCTP would make me attractive to more employers but an MEI could help me obtain more multi engine time and such. Thoughts?
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Do you have a job with an employer today that would use you as a MEI?
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Also one requires an expensive check ride that you could fail. If you've met the multi requirements I would just get the ATP and start networking.
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My CFI is doing ATP for exactly this reason. Multi may be a nice-to-have but the requirements are sufficient, just go get the ATP and then start pounding the pavement
 
While most regional airlines don’t require the ATP-CPT course, almost all are only interviewing off the street, non cadets only if they have taken the course.
 
jonnyjetprop said:
While most regional airlines don’t require the ATP-CPT course, almost all are only interviewing off the street, non cadets only if they have taken the course.
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I understand this to be pretty accurate. Mine requires it and we have significantly more applicants than open positions so I expect the bar is being raised.

-SixPapaCharlie,
"who lowered it."
 
Curious - does the FAA still require an MEI to be an inspector on the GA side? Not that this changes the OP's decision making, but there was a time that I was looking into this and thought I remembered that being a requirement.
 
Someone on APC said Piedmont has 14,000 applications on file. Things seem very competitive at the regionals now. Yet strangely I just got a PSA recruiting email.

Screenshot 2025-10-20 at 4.00.47 PM.png
 
Pilot-To-Be said:
I recently hit 1800hrs and I’m in the process of applying to various airlines. I’m trying to figure out what the biggest bang for my buck would be and what would be best at this point. Should I get my MEI or pay for the ATP-CTP course? I figure the ATPCTP would make me attractive to more employers but an MEI could help me obtain more multi engine time and such. Thoughts?
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I am in a smilar quest - not because I am applying for any jobs - but because I've been sitting on my CFII for 25 years and haven't taken a single checkride since. In my case, I have zero ME hours, so the first step is to get the ME rating. But going straight to CTP/ATP after that doesn't make sense because I would need 50 hrs in a multi, so my plan is to do the MEI next. At least that way I get a rating out of it rather than just burning gas to fill the 50 hours.
 
kayoh190 said:
Curious - does the FAA still require an MEI to be an inspector on the GA side? Not that this changes the OP's decision making, but there was a time that I was looking into this and thought I remembered that being a requirement.
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Correct. Aviation Safety Inspector GA Operations requires the MEI. However, an ASI Ops GA that is rotorcraft does not.

ASI Ops Air Carrier does not require any flight instructor certificates.
 
sarangan said:
I am in a smilar quest - not because I am applying for any jobs - but because I've been sitting on my CFII for 25 years and haven't taken a single checkride since. In my case, I have zero ME hours, so the first step is to get the ME rating. But going straight to CTP/ATP after that doesn't make sense because I would need 50 hrs in a multi, so my plan is to do the MEI next. At least that way I get a rating out of it rather than just burning gas to fill the 50 hours.
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You really only need to have 25 hours. The time in the simulator for ctp, plus your required training for a ME 135, 121 outfit will be at least 25 hours. The atp-cpt is required before you can take the ATP written. Although it doesn't prepare you for the written.
 
Mikey52 said:
The atp-cpt is required before you can take the ATP written. Although it doesn't prepare you for the written.
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Also note that it discusses topics that ARE on the oral exam. I’ve had several applicants tell me that on the first day of the ATP CTP course, the instructor said something to the effect of, “None of this will be on a test.”
 
jonnyjetprop said:
While most regional airlines don’t require the ATP-CPT course, almost all are only interviewing off the street, non cadets only if they have taken the course.
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Here the bottom line, completion among candidates is returning to normal. What the airlines required yesterday has no bearing on tomorrow.
 
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