SATA Virtual ATO is a Membership only based ATO due to our Virtual Airline’s training program being directly tied to the ATO training program and used for Virtual Airline members or applicants only. Upon request by the ATO ́s POI, the ATO CFI will inform the ATO’s POI when the ATO is expected to open or close acceptance of new students.

In order to join SATA Virtual as a Pilot, the applicant will be required to show a basic theoretical knowledge of basic aviation and how SATA Virtual works. All study information needed to overcome these exams are available online. This is requested to new Pilots, as this is considered the minimum that an applicant shall know to start his career, and develop the knowledge required to simulate the operations of the real Airline, as this is the purpose of this Virtual Airline. This level of knowledge is measured by a virtual Flight Crew License or vFCL. A student applicant is only considered a full member of SATA Virtual after acquiring the ABINI vFCL License.

vFCL is composed by two evaluation components, a theoretical one and a practical one, just like a real Pilot License. This means that every applicant will be evaluated in two separated moments and only after completion of them a license is emitted to them. If the applicant succeeds in reaching a minimum level of ABINI License he or she will be considered a full member of SATA Virtual a Licensed Pilot.

Upon application, every applicant shall receive the PILOT ADMISSION HANDBOOK (PAB_HB) document which includes all relevant information and indications required to become a SATA Virtual member. This will not include any study level information. This Entry Handbook is only a guidance document that allows any applicant to understand how licensing at SATA Virtual works and shall include the privacy rights and duties of SATA Virtual OM policies. Applicants will be assessed using this chapter criteria when attempting a written and practical examination for a pilot rating. All applicants must undergo this admission process unless any equivalencies described Equivalencies are possible.

Pilot training is the key to the success of the ATO and its students. The ATO will utilize the following methods, techniques, and assessment strategies to conduct pilot training:
1. Student teaching will be a mix of both 1:1 practical and web based theoretical instruction. Theoretical content will vary in available online presentations with a balance of text, videos, and graphics to help all learning styles retain the information being presented.
2. Students will be assessed by feedback from periodic 1:1 quiz in the theoretical content. Students will also be assessed using instructor training in the aircraft during each lesson debriefing.
3. Continuous contact with our instructors regarding any questions that the student may have
4. Goal driven instruction, which will allow the instructor to set a specific goal that give incentive to the student to prepare and reach the goal for the next less

Captains are admited when necessary. We intend to keep a number of captains equal or less than pilots.

1. Flight Operations and Fleet Chief will apoint someone to Captain
2. If the pilot accepts to become a captain his admitance procedure will start
3. He will recieve an email containing instructions on how to access our Exam System.
4. He will complete one written exam about the aircraft, much more elaborated than the initial exam.
5. The requested result is 70%.
6. If the candidate fails his exam he can redo it one more time.
7. If he fails again, he will be dismissed, but can be recalled again sometime

Minimum requirements are:
a) 150 flight hours or 80 cicles in SATA
b) 100 flight hours or 50 cicles on his fleet
c) To have Funchal Qualification on his fleet

Note: One cicle is the same as one flight (one takeoff and one landing)

Any pilot can request his change to another fleet. Based on availability from that fleet he will start at once or enter a wait list.

There are two distinctive situations:
1. If does not have a valid Type Rating for that new fleet
   a) Request and complete the Type Rating for the new fleet. This procedure is the same for new pilots.
      i) Will not require to complete any Assisted Fligths
2. If already has a valid Type Rating for that new fleet
   a) Nothing required

You can read more about Type Rating Flights by getting back to the previous page and following to the Type Rating Procedure and Type Rating Flight Description pages.

If the pilots already have a Funchal Qualification and wishes to keep it, will only have to make again the Funchal Procedures Flight, but will have to complete the minimum requirements for it.

We recommend all pilots to obtain their Type Ratings before changing fleet to avoid any inactivity stage.

Any Captain can request his change to another fleet. Based on availability from that fleet he will start at once or enter a wait list.

There are two distinctive situations:
1. If does not have a valid Type Rating for that new fleet
   a) Request and complete the Type Rating for the new fleet. This procedure is the same for new pilots.
      i) Will not require to complete any Assisted Fligths
   b) Take his Funchal Qualification (includes all minimum requirements)
   c) Take the Captain exam for that fleet as described in Captain Admitance Procedure (previous page)
      i) Minimum requirement in this case is 20 flight hours to 10 cicles on the new fleet (last 2 months)
2. If already has a valid Type Rating for that new fleet
   a) If already completed previously the Captain exam for that fleet:
      i) 5 flight hours or 3 cicles in the new fleet (adaptation period) (last 2 months)
      ii) It is supposed that because was already a Captain he has his Funchal Qualification
   b) If does not have yet completed the Captain exam for that fleet:
      i) Take his Funchal Qualification if not yet taken in the new fleet (includes all minimum requirements)
      ii) Take the Captain exam for that fleet as described in Captain Admitance Procedure (previous page)
        (1) Minimum requirement in this case is 20 flight hours to 10 cicles on the new fleet (last 2 months)

You can read more about Type Rating Flights by getting back to the previous page and following to the Type Rating Procedure and Type Rating Flight Description pages.

If the pilot already have a Funchal Qualification and wishes to keep it, will only have to make again the Funchal Procedures Flight.

We recommend all Captains to obtain their Type Ratings before changing fleet to avoid any inactivity stage or temporary depromotion to pilot rank.

Note: One cicle is the same as one flight (one takeoff and one landing)

A SATA Virtual pilot can apply for a Type Rating for another fleet aircraft under the following conditions

1. Have an average rating as SATA Virtual Pilot greater than 85%
2. Send an email requesting to perform a new type rating for another fleet aircraft
3. He will receive an email containing instructions on how to access our Exam System.
4. The requested result is 70%.
5. If the candidate fails his exam he can redo it one more time.
6. If he fails again, he can apply again to the type rating after 3 months

Minimum requirements for the first request of Type Rating are:
a) 150 flight hours or 80 cicles in SATA
b) 100 flight hours or 50 cicles on his fleet
c) Have Funchal Qualification on his fleet (if applicable)

Minimum requirements for subsequent Type Rating requests are:
a) 250 flight hours or 130 cicles in SATA
b) 100 flight hours or 50 cicles on his fleet
c) Have Funchal Qualification on his fleet (if applicable)
d) 20 flight hours or 10 cicles on the current fleet on the last 2 months
e) 100 flight hours or 50 cicles on the last achieved Type Rating
f) Have Funchal Qualification on the last achieved Type Rating (if applicable)

Note: One cicle is the same as one flight (one takeoff and one landing).
      For the second type rating request the pilot needs to have twice the number of hours or cicles mentioned in a).