ATA Training System
Without doubt, one of the keys to the ATA's success was its training system. When the pool of qualified pilots had been depleted but the demands for ATA services were growing, the ATA took the decision to train their own pilots. They then devised a customised training program that produced qualified pilots in record time. Critical to the success of ATA's training program was that it had been designed to meet the demand for ferry pilots. ATA pilots were trained for a specific purpose: ferrying. They did not need to master the skills required of fighter, bomber, recce pilots, or airline pilots. This meant there were many aspects to flying that they did not need to learn in order to do the job assigned them. They were not supposed to fly at night or in poor weather so they did not need instrument training, for example. They certainly didn't need to master aerobatics! On the other hand, they had to be very good at navigating without instruments and they needed to be comf...