ATP Flight School has opened a new pilot training center at the Arlington Municipal Airport (KGKY) in Arlington, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth.
The new facility represents the next evolution of ATP’s 30-year presence training pilots in the Dallas area and is an integral part of addressing the post-pandemic pilot shortage, according to company officials.
“Every aspect of the 13,875 square-foot facility was developed to deliver airline pilot training as efficiently as possible,” officials said in a press release. “Carefully designed classroom and briefing spaces complement an advanced simulator bay containing multiple flight training devices (FTDs).”
The new training center also includes an FAA Certified Level 6 Cessna 172 FTD “specifically designed for advanced training and successful certification outcomes,” company officials add.
On the ramp are multi-engine Piper Seminoles and new Garmin G1000-equipped Cessna 172s, officials noted.
In ATP’s Airline Career Pilot Program, aspiring pilots can start with zero experience and graduate in nine months, then complete the Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program at nearby ATP JETS using full-motion Airbus and Boeing simulators.
“With a shortage of qualified airline pilots representing 10% of the total professional pilot workforce by 2023, the Arlington facility joins ATP’s 60 other locations nationwide to increase capacity and train 20,000 airline pilots over the next ten years,” company officials noted.