What is the ATPL

As soon as you begin to investigate professional flight training, you are likely to encounter the term ATPL (Airline Transport Pilots Licence). It is this licence the student pilot aspires to when embarking upon a career as a professional pilot.

An ATPL is the highest license a pilot can obtain and is the qualification that allows the holder to act as the Pilot in Command (PIC), or Captain of a large transport aircraft.

Although it is true to say that there are other types of aerial work a pilot is able to do while holding only a Commercial License, the ATPL is generally considered to be the qualification to work towards.

The issue of an ATPL entitles the holder to:

• Act as pilot-in-command (PIC) of an aircraft in air carrier service
• Act as PIC in aircraft with a max gross weight over 12,500 pounds or 5,700 kg and/or over 9 passenger seats
• Act as the commander of an aircraft, for valuable consideration (Pay)
• Act as the commander of a multi-crew aircraft for which they are qualified

As you would imagine, there are a number of steps to be completed before an individual can apply for an ATPL and the process can be both daunting and expensive. It is wise to gather as much information as possible before making any commitment to undertake that training.

Take time to learn and understand the training process that will be required. Gather information from as many different sources as you can. As stated above, the requirements and training required of a pilot before they are entitled to hold an ATPL appear daunting at first, but they are achievable. They can be thought of as a number of discrete steps that, once understood, can easily be planned.