For years, South Florida pilots chasing an Airline Transport Pilot certificate had a frustrating first step: the FAA-required ATP Certification Training Program usually meant a flight to Texas, Arizona, or the Carolinas before they could even sit the ATP written. That's over. AVS now runs its full FAA-approved ATP CTP course in Miami, at Opa-Locka Executive Airport — the same curriculum, instructors, and full-motion Boeing 737 simulator training we run at our Dallas–Fort Worth headquarters, ten minutes from the heart of one of the busiest aviation job markets in the country.
Here's everything you need to know about taking ATP CTP in Miami: what the course is, why the FAA requires it, what the week actually looks like, and what it costs.
What is ATP CTP — and why do you need it?
Since 2014, the FAA has required every pilot pursuing an ATP certificate with multiengine privileges to complete an approved Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program before taking the ATP multiengine knowledge test. The rule lives in 14 CFR 61.156, and the logic is straightforward: before you fly a transport-category jet for a Part 121 airline, the FAA wants you to have seen high-altitude operations, swept-wing aerodynamics, and airline-style crew coordination in a structured setting.
Every approved program must deliver at least 30 hours of academic instruction and 10 hours in flight simulation training devices — including at least six hours in a full-motion simulator representing a large, multiengine turbine airplane. There is no checkride. Finish the course and you receive a graduation certificate, which unlocks the ATP written. That certificate never expires.
Why take the course in Miami?
Miami isn't just a convenient location — for a huge share of ATP candidates, it's the logical one.
- South Florida is an airline hiring hub. Between Miami International, Fort Lauderdale, and the cargo and charter operators clustered around Opa-Locka and Miami Executive, the region is dense with Part 121 and 135 operators — and with pilots building toward them.
- It's the gateway for international candidates. Pilots from Latin America and the Caribbean converting to an FAA ATP can fly into MIA, train at Opa-Locka, and be home the following week. No connecting flights, no rental car odyssey.
- Your 1,500 hours were probably built here. Florida trains more professional pilots than almost anywhere in the country. If you instructed or flew charter in the state, finishing your ATP prerequisites where you already live makes sense.
Our Miami campus is at Opa-Locka Executive Airport (OPF), 14850 NW 44th Court, Suite 206 — an easy drive from anywhere in Miami-Dade or Broward.
What the 6–7 days actually look like
The AVS ATP CTP program runs as an intensive week: roughly 30 hours of ground school followed by 10 hours of simulator training, bracketed by airline-style briefings and debriefings.
Ground school covers the material the FAA front-loads for the airline transition: high-altitude aerodynamics, adverse weather and windshear, stall prevention and upset recovery, transport-category systems, turbine engine operations, and airline-oriented procedures — flows, callouts, checklist discipline, and crew decision-making. If most of your logbook was built in piston airplanes below 10,000 feet, this is the week that closes the gap. Virtual ground school options are available if you need scheduling flexibility.
Simulator training is where the course earns its keep. You'll fly structured sessions in a full-motion Boeing 737 simulator, replicating real operational scenarios in an airline-style environment — the same category of equipment airline training departments will put you in on day one of new-hire training. Walking into an airline sim evaluation having already flown a full-motion 737 is a genuine advantage, and it's one of the most common things our graduates tell us mattered.
What ATP CTP costs in Miami
Promotional pricing for the AVS ATP CTP course starts at $3,499. Enroll with a friend and you each pay $2,999. And with our crew discount, every additional pilot you bring takes another $50 off your own seat — $2,949 with two friends, $2,899 with three, $2,849 with four — while everyone you bring still locks in the $2,999 rate. That’s up to $650 off versus enrolling solo.
A $999 deposit reserves each seat, and the balance is invoiced automatically to your email with plenty of notice before class start. Seats are limited at both campuses, so if you have a class date in mind, reserve early.
Who we see in Miami classes
- Regional airline applicants who want the written finished before interviews and indoc dates — whether they're headed for a full or restricted ATP.
- International pilots from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe adding an FAA ATP for airline opportunities at home or abroad.
- Military aviators transitioning to the airlines who have deep turbine experience but still need the FAA paperwork trail — which starts with CTP.
- Florida flight instructors crossing 1,500 hours who want the next box checked close to home.
One honest note we give every caller: if you're already holding a conditional job offer, ask your recruiter whether the airline runs CTP in-house as part of new-hire training before you pay for it yourself. And keep the timeline in mind — your graduation certificate never expires, but the ATP knowledge test result is currently valid for 60 calendar months, so time the written against your expected checkride.
How to book your seat
Upcoming Miami and Dallas class dates are posted on our class schedule, and the full course breakdown — curriculum, prerequisites, and FAQs — is on our ATP CTP course page. A $999 deposit holds your seat, and if you're bringing your crew, call us at (817) 747-6577 and we'll set the whole group up at the discounted rate.
South Florida finally has a boutique, FAA-approved ATP CTP option with full-motion Boeing 737 simulator training. We'd love to fly with you at Opa-Locka.