FAA-Approved Type Ratings, ATP-CTP & Full-Flight Simulator Training
ATR42/72Type Rating Training
Earn your ATR 42/72 Type Rating through structured academic instruction, advanced full-motion simulator training, and airline-standard operational preparation designed to transition pilots into regional turboprop airline operations.
Table Of Contents
Everything about the ATR 42/72 regional turboprop type rating program in one place. Click any section below to jump straight to what you need.
Program Overview
What the initial ATR 42/72 type rating covers and how the regional turboprop course is built.
Who Needs This Rating
Regional cadets, first airline job candidates, and short-haul operations pilots.
What This Prepares You For
Regional line operations, multi-crew SOP discipline, and turboprop systems management.
Key Training Features
Level D ATR 42/72 simulation, airline SOP integration, and instructor-led briefings.
Built Around The Checkride
Ground school, simulator hours, and the checkride coordinated as one program.
Program Structure
The four phases from ground knowledge review through checkride preparation.
Related Programs
Other fleets, ATR simulator time, ATP-CTP, and FAA license conversion.
From The Blog
When a type rating is required and how ATP minimums actually work.
Entry Requirements
Licenses, experience, medical, language, and MCC/UPRT prerequisites.
FAQs
Duration, turboprop vs jet training, regional airline hiring, and international recognition.
The ATR 42/72 Type Rating
The ATR 42/72 Type Rating program is built for pilots pursuing an initial ATR type qualification through structured, airline-caliber training. By combining comprehensive ground instruction with Level D full-motion simulator sessions, the program develops the technical proficiency, procedural discipline, and multi-crew coordination skills required in modern regional airline environments. Our training framework follows internationally accepted airline best practices and is ideal for pilots targeting turboprop commercial operations across the US, Europe, Asia, and other global markets.
What This Program Includes
- Comprehensive ATR 42/72 ground school and turboprop systems instruction
- Level D full-motion simulator sessions flown as a two-pilot crew
- Airline-standard SOP, CRM, and MCC integration
- Short-haul, high-frequency regional operations training
- Check ride preparation and final standards evaluation
Training Outcome
- Initial ATR 42/72 regional turboprop type qualification
- Command of turboprop powerplant, propeller, and FMS management
- Confident normal, abnormal, and emergency procedure management
- Multi-crew short-haul performance to published airline standards
- Readiness to present for the type rating check ride
Who Needs This Rating
The ATR 42/72 is the workhorse of regional aviation — for many pilots it is the first type-rated, revenue-earning seat in an airline career, not another jet endorsement.
Regional Airline Cadets
Cadet & first-officer pathways
Pilots entering regional carrier cadet or first-officer pathways where turboprop operations are the entry point into commercial airline flying.
Airline Track
CPL Holders Building Toward A First Airline Job
First revenue seat
Candidates with commercial licenses seeking their first type-rated, revenue-generating seat, often the fastest route into paid line flying.
Career Entry
Pilots Moving Into Short-Haul, High-Frequency Operations
Dense regional networks
Pilots targeting carriers running dense regional networks with multiple daily short sectors.
Operations Focus
International License Holders Pursuing Regional Turboprop Roles
DGCA, EASA & ICAO
DGCA, EASA, FAA, or other ICAO-licensed pilots building toward regional carrier eligibility on the ATR platform.
ConversionWhat This Program
Prepares You For
Every block below is taught in ground school and then flown in the Level D ATR simulator until it is second nature on the regional flight deck.
Regional Turboprop Line Operations
Short-sector turnarounds, high-frequency schedules, and the pace of real regional airline flying on the ATR platform.
SOP Discipline & Multi-Crew Coordination
Operate to airline-standard SOPs with the pilot flying / pilot monitoring coordination regional carriers demand from day one.
Advanced Systems & Performance Management
Master ATR turboprop systems, FMS programming, and the performance planning that short, demanding sectors require.
Abnormal & Emergency Scenario Handling
Manage engine and systems failures, icing operations, and non-normal scenarios with structured airline decision-making.
Key Training Features
Elite training features and technology — the equipment, instruction, and standards that produce airline-ready ATR 42/72 regional crews.
Level D Full-Motion ATR 42/72 Simulator
Training in a Level D full-motion simulator that replicates ATR handling, turboprop systems behavior, and the regional flight deck environment.
Airline SOP Integration
Every session is flown to published regional airline SOPs so procedural discipline becomes habit, not memorization.
Systems Integration Training
Engines, propellers, hydraulics, electrics, and flight controls taught as an integrated turboprop aircraft, not isolated chapters.
Briefings & Debriefings With Airline Instructors
Structured pre-flight briefs and detailed debriefs led by instructors who fly and train on the line.
Built Around The Checkride
Every hour of the course is aimed at one outcome: presenting for the ATR 42/72 type rating check ride flying to airline standards, with turboprop systems knowledge, SOPs, and crew performance already proven in the simulator.
Ground School, Simulator & Check Ride
Academic instruction, simulator sessions, and check ride preparation are coordinated as one program so nothing stalls between phases.
ATR 42/72 Type Rating Program Structure
Four phases, 92–106 training hours, 28–35 days. Every candidate follows the same sequence from ground knowledge review through check ride preparation.
Phase 01
Ground Knowledge Review
Duration: 60–70 Hours · Format: Classroom Instruction + Guided Study
The program opens with an in-depth academic phase covering the ATR 42/72 airframe, turboprop systems, and regional operating philosophy. The objective is complete technical understanding of the aircraft before you ever sit in the simulator.
This Phase Includes
- Aircraft Systems: Engines, propellers, hydraulics, electrics, fuel, and flight controls in full operational detail.
- Turboprop Powerplant Management: PW100-series engine operation, propeller control, and power management through all phases of flight.
- Automation & FMS: Flight management programming, mode awareness, and short-sector energy management.
- Performance & Limitations: ATR weight and balance, short-field takeoff and landing performance, and operating limits.
- Normal & Abnormal Procedures: Checklist discipline, flows, and airline-standard abnormal handling.
Outcome: You enter the simulator phase with complete turboprop systems knowledge and a working command of ATR procedures and limitations.
Phase 02
Full-Motion Simulator Evaluation
Training Device: Level D Full-Motion Simulator · Duration: 30–35 Hours
The simulator phase converts academic knowledge into regional flight deck performance. Sessions are flown as a two-pilot crew to airline SOPs, progressing from basic handling through complex failure management on realistic short-haul profiles.
This Phase Includes
- Normal Operations: Departures, climb, cruise, descent, approach, and landing flown to SOP on short regional sectors.
- Abnormal & Emergency Handling: Engine failures, propeller malfunctions, system degradations, and single-engine operations.
- Multi-Crew Cooperation: Task sharing, callouts, and cross-verification as pilot flying and pilot monitoring.
- Icing & Adverse Weather: Cold-weather and icing operations that regional turboprops fly daily.
- High-Frequency Line Scenarios: Rapid turnarounds, multiple daily sectors, and real-world regional decision-making.
Outcome: You demonstrate consistent, airline-standard ATR handling and crew performance across normal and non-normal regional operations.
Phase 03
Check Ride Preparation
Focus: Final Certification Readiness
The final phase targets the checkride itself. Instructors run standards-focused sessions until your performance is repeatable to the published test criteria.
This Phase Includes
- Standards Review: Every maneuver measured against the checkride tolerances.
- Mock Check Rides: Full-profile evaluations flown under test conditions.
- Oral Exam Preparation: Systems and procedure questioning in the format the examiner uses.
- Targeted Remediation: Extra work on any area that is not yet consistent.
Outcome: You present for the checkride prepared, current, and evaluated to the same standard the examiner applies.
Phase 04
Expected Duration & Training Hours
The schedule is intensive but realistic — enough time to build genuine command of the turboprop aircraft without unnecessary downtime between phases.
Related Programs
Building your regional airline career, or planning ahead to a mainline jet? Here's what else is available.
From The Blog
Reading that matters before you commit to a regional type rating — when the rating is legally required and how the ATP minimums behind it actually work.
Entry Requirements
Have these ready when you contact Simulator Center Training and your ATR 42/72 start date can be confirmed quickly.
Valid Pilot License
- Commercial Pilot License (CPL) or Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL)
- FAA, EASA, DGCA, or other ICAO-compliant authority
- License valid and unrestricted at the time of enrollment
Flight Experience
- Documented total time and recent flying experience
- Prior multi-crew or turboprop experience is an advantage, not a requirement
- Logbook reviewed during the eligibility assessment
Multi-Engine & Instrument Ratings
- Current multi-engine (ME) rating
- Current instrument (IR) rating
- Instrument currency reviewed before the simulator phase
Medical Certification
- Class 1 medical certificate recommended for airline-bound candidates
- Class 2 accepted for training purposes where permitted
- Physically fit for extended full-motion simulator sessions
English Language Proficiency
- ICAO Level 4 English or higher
- Required for briefings, radio communication, and crew coordination
- All ground school and simulator instruction is delivered in English
MCC & UPRT
- Multi-crew cooperation is built into the simulator phase
- Documented prior MCC may be credited toward the course
- Upset prevention and recovery training integrated into the course
ATR 42/72 Type Rating FAQs
The questions pilots ask most about the ATR 42/72 regional rating — duration, first-rating fit, turboprop versus jet training, regional hiring, and international recognition.