Rochester Community and Technical College is excited to announce it has been granted authority by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify graduates of its Aviation Pilot program for a restricted Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. This certification means that RCTC Aviation Pilot graduates will have the total flight hours required to act as co-pilot in a commercial airline reduced from 1500 hours to 1250 hours.
The restricted Airline Transport Pilot certification for RCTC Aviation Pilot graduates is even more significant today given recent changes in some commercial airlines’ hiring requirements for pilots. With additional required flight experience, two-year degree applicants can now apply for first officer positions with commercial airlines.
Upon completion of RCTC’s Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Pilot, graduates will earn a private pilot’s license, instrument rating, airplane single-engine land commercial pilot’s license, and now be eligible to earn a restricted Airline Transport Pilot certificate.
For further information about RCTC’s Aviation Pilot program, visit https://www.rctc.edu/program/aviation/ or contact RCTC Dean of Career and Technical Education Matt Bissonette, Ed.D., at matt.bissonette@rctc.edu or 507-280-3152.