ATP Pilot study plan
ATP Pilot · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Preflight Preparation & Abnormal and Emergency Procedures
List the airworthiness, registration, and operating documents required for a Part 91 flight and state the currency and medical requirements for each crewmember
Compute weight and balance for three loading scenarios and determine whether each falls within the approved CG envelope
Calculate takeoff and landing distances at three density-altitude values and state a go/no-go for each
Decode a METAR, TAF, and winds-and-temperatures-aloft forecast and justify a written go/no-go for one planned cross-country
Your checkpoint
A single-page preflight decision sheet containing three solved weight-and-balance problems, three performance calculations, and a written go/no-go for one planned flight, plus a score of at least 85 percent on a 30-question Domain 1 self-quiz.
Abnormal and Emergency Procedures & High Altitude Operations
Recite from memory the immediate-action items for engine fire, loss of oil pressure, and rapid depressurization
Sequence the abnormal-versus-emergency decision path for five given system-failure scenarios and state the checklist entry point for each
State the supplemental-oxygen requirements and time-of-useful-consciousness figures for a set of altitudes and crew configurations
Diagram an emergency-descent profile including target descent rate, bank angle, and cabin-altitude targets
Your checkpoint
A one-page emergency memory-item card covering five emergencies, demonstrated by a timed recall drill completed in under 60 seconds per item with no procedural errors.
High Altitude Operations & Takeoff and Departure Phase
Distinguish the types of hypoxia and state the recognition and corrective action for each
Explain decompression sickness, trapped-gas effects, and the operational limits placed on flight crews at high cabin altitudes
State takeoff minimums, alternate minimums, and obstacle-departure requirements for a set of given airports and weather conditions
Calculate a rejected-takeoff decision point for a given runway length, weight, and reported braking action
Brief the departure segment of a flight from engine start through 1,500 feet above field elevation
Your checkpoint
A recorded 10-minute oral departure and high-altitude brief, scored against a 12-item instructor-style rubric with at least 10 of 12 items satisfactorily addressed.
Preflight Procedures & Normal Procedures
Construct the before-start, before-takeoff, and before-landing flows and explain the reason behind each step
Schedule the normal-procedure checklists in the correct sequence for a complete flight profile from preflight to shutdown
Identify the systems and limitations (fuel, electrical, hydraulic, pressurization) that constrain normal operations and state each limitation from memory
Perform a line-oriented normal-procedure walkthrough and annotate every point where a checklist must be called
Your checkpoint
A complete annotated normal-procedures flow diagram for one aircraft covering all phases from preflight to shutdown, plus a score of at least 85 percent on a 50-question cumulative self-quiz over Domains 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8.
Takeoff and Departure Phase & Inflight Maneuvers
State the V-speed definitions and the conditions under which each is used during takeoff and initial climb
Explain the factors that degrade climb performance and calculate the resulting change in rate of climb for a given set of conditions
Describe the required entries, headings, and altitude tolerances for steep turns, chandelles, lazy eights, and eights on pylons
Predict the errors that cause altitude, airspeed, or heading deviations in each maneuver and state the correct technique to fix each one
Explain stall recognition and recovery for approach-to-stall, accelerated stall, and cross-controlled stall conditions
Your checkpoint
A maneuver-by-maneuver analysis table for four commercial maneuvers listing entry parameters, common errors, and corrective technique, with each of the four verified against a written knowledge check of at least 80 percent.
Inflight Maneuvers & Landing and Approach Phase
Compare the types of instrument approaches and state the precision, required equipment, and minimums for each
Calculate a stabilized-approach gate and state the go-around criteria for a given approach speed, configuration, and airport
Explain the wind shear, wake turbulence, and contaminated-runway considerations that affect the landing decision
State the missed-approach procedure and the decision altitude or minimum descent altitude callouts for two given approach plates described in text
Describe the landing-performance factors and calculate landing distance for three runway and wind conditions
Your checkpoint
A written approach-and-landing decision matrix covering three approach types with go-around triggers, minimums, and computed landing distances, validated by a score of at least 85 percent on a 40-question self-quiz over Domains 4 and 5.
Landing and Approach Phase & Postflight Procedures
Describe the postflight inspection items, servicing requirements, and discrepancy-reporting procedure after a flight
State the requirements for securing, parking, and mooring an aircraft and identify the conditions that mandate each
Recompute the weight and balance and performance figures on the weakest-scoring domain identified in prior quizzes
Explain the postflight debrief items, including fuel accounting, logbook entries, and maintenance write-ups
Correct every missed item from the previous six weeks' self-quizzes by writing the correct answer and the supporting reference for each
Your checkpoint
A remediation log listing every previously missed item with the corrected answer and citation, with no unresolved items remaining, plus a 20-question postflight self-quiz score of at least 90 percent.
Preflight Preparation & Preflight Procedures & Takeoff and Departure Phase & Inflight Maneuvers & Landing and Approach Phase & Normal Procedures & Abnormal and Emergency Procedures & High Altitude Operations & Postflight Procedures
Complete two full-length timed practice exams and record domain-by-domain scores for each
Re-study only the domains scoring below 80 percent and re-test those domains in isolation
Recite all emergency memory items and all aircraft limitations in a single unbroken session
Deliver a complete oral-exam-style brief covering preflight, departure, en route, arrival, and postflight for one planned flight
Build a final one-page summary sheet of numbers, speeds, and regulatory figures to review on the day before the exam
Your checkpoint
Two completed full-length practice exams with a final score of at least 85 percent overall and at least 80 percent in every domain, plus a one-page master summary sheet.
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 80 percent on a 40-question combined quiz over Domains 1, 7, and 8, and complete the five-emergency memory-item drill without procedural errors.
Week 4: Score at least 85 percent on a 50-question cumulative quiz over Domains 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8, and submit the annotated normal-procedures flow diagram.
Week 6: Score at least 85 percent on a 40-question quiz over Domains 4 and 5 and demonstrate the approach-and-landing decision matrix with correct go-around triggers for all three approach types.
Week 8: Two full-length practice exams completed with at least 85 percent overall and at least 80 percent in every domain, and all remediation-log items closed.