"John Gaquin" wrote
Fact is, I don't think I know anyone who got a multi-engine
ATP on his own -- it was too expensive, and we were all hired
by airlines who ultimately wound up footing the bill. I did
once encounter a retired AF fighter pilot who specifically
wanted to get a single-engine ATP.

Strange things do happen. When first hired by PanAm in 1967,
they gave all of the new-hires who qualified with the required
number of flight hours, the 3-day ATP knowledge test course and
sent us off to the FAA for the test. This was done because at
that time, FE time didn't count toward the ATP requirements, and
the 1200 hours had to be "recent". Company policy was that all
SICs hold an ATP certificate and be type rated in the aircraft.
This was due to the long range relief pilot requirements. It was
possible then to be upgraded to SIC without enough recent pilot
hours to qualify for the ATP written, however once passed, the
written was good for as long as you were employed by that airline
and were receiving recurrent training.

Three years later, when the furlough notices were issued, I saw
that my ATP written would now expire because of my employment
status. I rented a well equipped PA-28-140 and flew across the
Delaware river to the FAA office (GADO at that time) at the North
Philadelphia Airport and requested an ATP practical test. The test
was administered as a couple of extra approaches at the end of an
Instrument Instructor practical test.

This "ATP Certificate" would, in a couple of years be instrumental
in my being empolyed by Air Florida as a B-707 PIC when the three
pilots who had been employed as PICs failed to complete the B-707
type rating program and no-one else in training held an ATP of any
kind.

A few years later, during another PanAm furlough, I managed a Part
141 Flight Training Program (Burnside-Ott at Opa-Locka) that trained
B-707 and B-727 FEs and ATPs. This was a very profitable
business around 1976 due to all of the GI Bill money floating around.
Although all of my instructors held ATPs and were type-rated in the
aircraft, the FAA insisted that they also hold FAA Flight Instructor
certificates since the Part 141 school was not the "air
transportation service".

Bob Moore