The Airline Transport Pilot certificate is the top of the line for pilot certificates. An ATP license allows you to be a Captain of an airline such as SouthWest and United. To become an ATP pilot you must be eligible, eligibility requirements can be found at http://www.gg-pilot.com/atp.htm, and meet the aeronautical experience requirements. Here are some of the requirements:

• 1500 hours of total flight time
• 100 hours of night flight time
• 75 hours instrument flight time
• 250 hours of P.I.C. flight time
• 100 hours as x-country time
• 25 hours of night x-country time

            As an ATP pilot, you will be able to be a captain for an IFR passenger flight in turbine and multi-engine airplanes. A special privilege an ATP pilot holds is that they can instruct pilots in air transportation service in aircrafts which they are rated for.

More information can be found in the current FAR’s under part §61.151.