Hi there David,
Apologies for the delay... I'll have to track down Dan!
But... I'd like to answer your questions for you in the meantime.
First of all... Welcome to the forums! Thanks so much for taking the time away from your netflix to come and post on here. LOL! Your going to have to tell me what those 5 movies were!
Regarding your math question... There is a lot of math in aviation. But... it's all fairly simple math with "plug in" type equations. So... once you learn the equations... it's fairly easy.
Types of math that you will be faced with in flight school will be: Wind calculations, fuel burn calculations, decent planning calculations, time & distance, climb rates & ratios, weight and balance, Center of Gravity (CG), braking distance, etc.
The fast track courses are difficult... make no mistake about that. There is a lot of information coming at you in a very short period of time that you need to be prepared for. In fact... it's recommended that you start preparing for the courses at least a month in advance by reading the materials that are sent to you, and taking your written exams prior to showing up for day one.
The folks that don't do well in fast track programs are the ones who take for granted that they will "just learn" as they go... instead of taking an active interest in their learning from the start.
The most challenging part of the program for me... was juggling my family life with the program... I had a wife & child and was buying & moving into a new home while going through the program. I don't think that will be an issue for you though.
You won't waste that much money if you drop out. ATP pro-rates their program and if you do drop out at any part... then you are only out your deposit and your flight time & instruction that you received up to that point. They actually have one of the best refund policies in the biz.
That said... fear of "dropping out" is another big reason why many people never follow their dreams. Just do your research on all the schools you are looking at... and once your decision is made... then commit! Make the commitment to yourself that you are going to succeed and prepare accordingly.
The travel during the program was actually quite minimal during the 90 days. The grand majority of your time is spent at your "home base". The only time you are away from the base is two weeks for your cross country phase and two weeks for CFI school.
However... if you are attending a location that already is "away from home", then I can see your potential dilemma. You really need to discuss with your loved ones the commitment that you are trying to make for yourself and your future. There will certainly be "time apart" from those you care about during this program... but... that is also true in this industry.
If you don't feel you can make a relationship work within the program... then you may want to reconsider this profession. There will be times you will be away from home for extended periods while working for any airline.
New Hire Training - From 1.5 to 3 months.
Re-Current Training - 1 week
Typical Trip Length - 4 days a week
Base Assignment - May be based up to 1000 miles away from home. Some days off may be "blown" trying to get home and back to work.
So... you have to be prepared for that... and your loved ones need to be prepared as well.
I'll sign off for now... and track Dan down for you.
I'm sure he'll offer his insight as well.
Welcome again to the forums!
Bob