For pilots needing to obtain an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate, Sporty’s (Booth 1357) has developed an FAA-approved ATP certification training program (ATP-CTP). Sporty’s partnered with ABX Airlines in Wilmington, Ohio, for the simulator portion of the training.

Pilots seeking the ATP are now required to obtain at least 30 hours of classroom study and 10 hours of simulator training, of which six must be in a level-C full-motion simulator. The ground-school portion must cover subjects such as aerodynamics, stall and upset prevention and recovery training and air carrier operations (to include physiology, communications, checklist philosophy, operational control, minimum equipment and configuration deviation lists, ground operations, turbine engines, transport aircraft performance, automation and navigation and flightpath warning systems).

Six hours of training is required on leadership/professional development, crew resource management and safety culture.

The six-day Sporty’s ATP-CTP program, which prepares students for the FAA knowledge test, costs $4,500 and will be done in a DC-9 simulator with ABX Airlines instructors. The course includes four days of classroom instruction and two days for the mandatory simulator training.

“ABX Air is proud to partner with Sporty’s in the launch of the ATP-CTP,” said ABX flight standards and training supervisor Steve Hanshew. “Besides a wealth of airline training experience, ABX also offers a world-class flight simulator training facility where pilots will benefit from learning in modern, full-motion flight simulators from professional and experienced airline pilots.”