ATP CTS tracks the dates. FileFlo holds the signed records.
This isn't FileFlo versus ATP CTS. Keep ATP CTS as your pilot training records database: the §135.293 IPC dates, §135.351 recurrent, and Part 61 currency the chief pilot checks before assigning the next 135 leg. FileFlo is a different layer, the compliance document evidence binder the FAA Principal Operations Inspector pulls during Part 135 surveillance: the §135.21 GOM file, the signed §135.293 / §135.351 / §135.345 forms, the §135.63 crewmember binder, and the §43.9 maintenance entries behind it. ATP CTS shows the date. FileFlo holds the signed form behind it.
$299/mo flat · Unlimited pilots + aircraft · No sales call
One shows the date. One holds the signed form.
ATP CTS is the training records database
It tracks every pilot's §135.293 competency check date, §135.351 recurrent training, §135.345 proficiency check, and Part 61 §61.56 / §61.57 currency: the database the chief pilot reads each week to know who is current. It is genuinely good at this, so keep using it.
FileFlo is the compliance evidence layer
It is the destination for the completed documents: the §135.21 GOM file with version history, the signed §135.293 / §135.351 / §135.345 forms with check-airman signatures, the §61.56 endorsement, and the §135.63 crewmember binder, all AI-classified per crewmember, retention-tracked, and produced as the one-click POI-ready binder.
Who wins for what.
The honest answer for most Part 135 / Part 91 operators: keep ATP CTS for the pilot training records database the chief pilot accesses every week, and add FileFlo for the compliance document evidence layer the FAA POI pulls.
FileFlo wins for
- Compliance document evidence binder for FAA POI surveillance (8900.1 Vol 3 Ch 18)
- 14 CFR §135.21 GOM/MOM file with version history + FAA-ack correspondence
- 14 CFR §135.293 competency check signed forms + check airman signatures
- 14 CFR §135.351 recurrent training completion certificates + subject coverage
- 14 CFR §135.345 PIC/SIC proficiency check signed write-ups
- Part 61 §61.56 flight review + §61.57 currency cross-reference to §135.293
- 14 CFR §135.63 crewmember recordkeeping binder per pilot + aircraft
- 14 CFR §43.9 + §43.7 maintenance entry storage from contract Part 145 station
- AI document classification across 600+ aviation compliance document types
- Flat $299/mo unlimited pilots + aircraft, no per-pilot subscription inflation
ATP CTS wins for
- Pilot training records database (event dates by crewmember)
- LMS integration for §135.351 ground-training delivery
- Chief pilot weekly currency check before assigning next 135 leg
- Multi-aircraft-type training-records access for Part 135 + Part 91
- OEM maintenance publications library for §43.13 acceptable-data source
- Multi-base Part 135 operator user access control
- Training-delivery + records-tracking single-vendor consolidation
FileFlo vs. ATP CTS, feature by feature.
Based on publicly available ATP CTS pilot training records and aviation publications materials, customer reports, and FileFlo product as of June 4, 2026.
| Feature | FileFlo$299/mo · unlimited pilots + aircraft | ATP CTS~$100-$500/user/yr |
|---|---|---|
Pilot training records database (event dates by crewmember) | Not in scope: holds the signed compliance records, not the LMS-style training-event database | Core competency: pilot training records platform for Part 135 + Part 91 |
Aviation maintenance publications library (OEM manuals + ICAs) | Not in scope: relies on ATP CTS-supplied OEM manual revisions as upstream | OEM manual + ICA distribution for §43.13 performance compliance source |
Compliance document evidence platform (AI-classified binder) | 600+ doc types AI-classified per crewmember + aircraft + tail | Training-records + tech-pub access, not signed-record document evidence storage |
14 CFR §135.21 General Operations Manual (GOM/MOM) version control + POI binder | Holds + version-tracks §135.21 GOM/MOM revisions + FAA-acknowledgment correspondence | Does not hold §135.21 GOM/MOM document or revision history |
14 CFR §135.293 competency check signed evidence + check airman signature | Holds signed §135.293 IPC forms reconciled to the §135.63 crewmember file | Tracks completion date, does not hold the signed §135.293 form itself |
14 CFR §135.351 recurrent training completion certificate + training captain signature | Holds signed §135.351 certificates with ground-training subject coverage list | Tracks completion date, does not hold the signed §135.351 certificate itself |
14 CFR §135.345 PIC/SIC proficiency check signed write-up | Holds signed §135.345 PIC + SIC proficiency check evidence | Tracks completion date, does not hold the signed §135.345 write-up itself |
14 CFR Part 61 §61.56 flight review + §61.57 currency cross-reference to §135.293 | Holds §61.56 endorsement + §61.57 logbook currency evidence cross-referenced to §135.293 | Records training events, does not hold the Part 61 endorsement evidence |
14 CFR §135.63 crewmember recordkeeping binder | §135.63 binder organized per crewmember + aircraft + Part 61 cross-link | Database of dates, not a signed §135.63 recordkeeping file |
14 CFR §43.9 maintenance entries from contract Part 145 station | Holds signed §43.9 entries citing ATP CTS-supplied OEM manual revision | Supplies the manual rev, does not hold the signed §43.9 entry from Part 145 |
Form 8130-3 Authorized Release Certificate attachments + Part 39 AD compliance evidence | Holds Form 8130-3 per component + Part 39 AD compliance binder | Not in scope: training-records + tech-pub library only |
FAA POI / PMI surveillance binder (8900.1 Vol 3 Ch 18 / Vol 6) one-click PDF | POI/PMI-ready binder organized by CFR section + crewmember + aircraft | Operator must export + assemble compliance binder manually |
Multi-regulation coverage (FAA + DOT + OSHA + EPA for hangar / ground ops) | 14 CFR + 49 CFR + 29 CFR + 40 CFR all in one platform | Aviation training-records + tech-pub only; single-domain scope |
Pricing model | $299/mo flat, unlimited pilots + aircraft + users | Per-user / per-pilot subscription (~$100-$500/user/yr operator reports) |
Free trial (no sales call) | 5-day full access, no card | Demo + per-pilot quote + user provisioning + onboarding process |
Use case fit | Part 135 / Part 91 POI / PMI compliance evidence binder for surveillance | Part 135 / Part 91 pilot training records + OEM tech-pub library for chief pilots + mechanics |
ATP CTS prices on a per-user / per-pilot subscription model that varies by pilot count, aircraft type count, user count, and integration tier. Range cited from public sources and operator reports. Verify directly with ATP CTS for an exact quote.
One flat price. No per-pilot math.
FileFlo is one flat price for the compliance document evidence layer regardless of pilot count or aircraft type scope. ATP CTS prices on a per-user / per-pilot subscription model, so the math escalates with every additional pilot and every additional user.
ATP CTS does not publish all pricing. Contact ATP CTS for an exact quote based on pilot count, aircraft type count, user count, and integration tier.
The pricing comparison is not apples-to-apples. ATP CTS is a pilot training records + maintenance publications platform; FileFlo is a compliance document evidence platform. The right operating model is ATP CTS for the pilot training records database, and FileFlo for the §135.21 / §135.293 / §135.351 / §135.63 / §43.9 audit binder, with combined cost typically lower than enterprise aviation compliance platforms alone.
Platform definition.
FileFlo is a compliance document intelligence platform that operates as an evidence layer alongside an aviation training records system such as ATP CTS. It does not track training-event dates, deliver LMS ground training, or distribute OEM maintenance publications; those are training-records functions ATP CTS performs well. Instead, FileFlo receives the completed compliance documents a Part 135 air carrier or Part 91 corporate flight department generates: the 14 CFR §135.21 General Operations Manual and its revision chain, the signed §135.293 competency check forms, the §135.351 recurrent training certificates, the §135.345 PIC/SIC proficiency check write-ups, the Part 61 §61.56 / §61.57 endorsements, the §135.63 crewmember recordkeeping file, and the §43.9 maintenance entries from the contract Part 145 station. It then classifies each against its governing CFR section, tracks retention, and generates an inspector-format audit binder on demand for FAA Principal Operations Inspector (POI) surveillance.
The distinction matters because ATP CTS is a training records and publications system: it is optimized for tracking who completed which check on which date, and for delivering the ground training under §135.351. ATP CTS can tell you a pilot's §135.293 IPC was completed within the preceding 12 calendar months; what the certificate holder must also produce, under §135.21 and §135.63, is the document evidence: the signed form with the check-airman signature, the GOM revision the FAA acknowledged, the crewmember file. FileFlo adds that compliance-evidence layer without disturbing the training records database beside it.
Why a date in a database isn't a signed record.
Federal Part 135 rules do not ask whether a training date was logged; they ask whether the certificate holder kept the required manual current and can produce the signed record on demand. Under 14 CFR §135.21, every certificate holder must prepare, keep current, and follow a General Operations Manual containing its competency-check, recurrent-training, proficiency-check, recordkeeping, and contract-maintenance procedures, revised whenever any procedure changes and available to the FAA Principal Operations Inspector on request during surveillance governed by FAA Order 8900.1 Volume 3 Chapter 18. Under §135.293, each pilot must pass a competency check within the preceding 12 calendar months, administered by a check airman approved under §135.337; under §135.351, recurrent ground and flight training must be completed within the preceding 24 calendar months; and under §135.345, the PIC and SIC must pass proficiency checks under simulated or actual IFR when the certificate authorizes IFR. A training records database can track every one of these dates and still leave the operator exposed, because a date has no concept of a signed form, a check-airman signature, or a §135.63 crewmember file.
The currency requirements connect to Part 61. Under §61.56, a pilot acting as PIC must complete a flight review within the preceding 24 calendar months, endorsed in the logbook; under §61.57, recent flight experience (three takeoffs and landings within the preceding 90 days, plus night and IFR currency) must be maintained. These endorsements pair with the §135.293 IPC to establish the pilot's qualification, and under §135.63 the certificate holder must retain the crewmember, aircraft, and training records and produce them to the FAA on request. On the maintenance side, the contract Part 145 station performs work under §43.13 using the current-revision OEM manual ATP CTS supplies, but §43.13 compliance is proven by the signed §43.9 entry and §43.7 return-to-service sign-off, the document evidence the POI or PMI pulls during surveillance.
This is the gap FileFlo closes. Rather than ask an operator to abandon the training records database the chief pilot reads each week, FileFlo receives the completed documents, maps each to the CFR section it satisfies, version-tracks the §135.21 GOM, tracks retention against §135.63 windows, and assembles the POI surveillance binder in the format the agency expects. ATP CTS shows the date; FileFlo holds the signed form behind it. Civil-penalty exposure under 49 U.S.C. §46301 runs up to $37,377 per violation per day for 2026, which is why the document binder, not the training-records screen, determines how a surveillance event ends.
Built by an operator, against the rules themselves.
Chad Griffith, Founder & CEO of FileFlo, built FileFlo's rule packs against the actual surveyor, inspector, and safety-investigator protocols, not against a generic "compliance" abstraction. Each regulator's taxonomy maps documents to the exact CFR section that demands them, which is why FileFlo can sit alongside a training records system like ATP CTS and still speak the language a Part 135 POI uses. FileFlo's connectors are read-only by design: the platform reads what you already have and never becomes a place your team has to migrate into.
Quick answers.
Last reviewed June 4, 2026.
What is ATP CTS, and who is it built for in 2026?
ATP CTS (Aircraft Technical Publishers, Compliance Training Solutions, sometimes branded "ATP CTS" within the broader ATP / Aviation Training Service product family) is an aviation crew training records and maintenance publications platform built specifically for Part 135 on-demand air carriers and Part 91 corporate flight departments that need to track pilot training records under 14 CFR Part 61, §135.293 competency / proficiency checks, §135.351 recurrent ground and flight training, §135.345 pilot tests for proficiency, plus maintenance manuals + Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICAs) the Part 145 contract repair station references under §43.13. The ATP CTS product line historically focuses on the pilot training records pain point: the chief pilot or director of operations who needs to prove every Part 135 pilot completed the §135.293 competency check within the preceding 12 calendar months, the §135.351 recurrent training within the preceding 24 calendar months, the §135.345 PIC/SIC proficiency check, plus the Part 61 §61.56 flight review and §61.57 currency requirements, and pairs that with an aviation maintenance publications library mechanics search for current-revision OEM manuals. ATP CTS competes against aviation training record platforms like CTS Aviation, Veryon (training-records side, post-2024 merger with ATP), CAMP Systems training-records modules, and OEM-direct training portals. ATP CTS is the pilot training records + maintenance manual library; FileFlo is the compliance document evidence layer that holds the §135.21 General Operations Manual file, the §135.293 + §135.351 + §135.345 signed training records binder, the §43.9 maintenance entries + §43.7 RTS sign-offs, and produces the one-click FAA Principal Operations Inspector (POI) / Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI) surveillance binder organized to FAA Order 8900.1 Volume 3 (Part 135) and Volume 6 (Part 145) inspector checklists.
How much does ATP CTS cost vs FileFlo?
ATP CTS prices on a per-user / per-pilot subscription model tailored to Part 135 + Part 91 crew training records scope: number of pilots in the training-records database, number of aircraft types in the maintenance publications library, number of users with crew-records access (chief pilot, DO, training captains, chief inspector), and the integration tier (basic records access vs full LMS / training-delivery integration). Public pricing varies; ATP CTS sells through a sales-led process. Industry reporting and Part 135 operator disclosures suggest ATP CTS subscriptions run roughly $100-$500 per user per year for the pilot training records and maintenance publications access layer: a small Part 135 charter with 4-6 pilots and a single aircraft type at the lower end, scaling to a multi-base Part 135 operation with 25-40 pilots and 3-5 aircraft types running multi-thousand-dollar annual contracts on the upper end. FileFlo is a flat $299 per month or $2,990 per year, with unlimited pilots, unlimited aircraft types, unlimited users, all compliance features. The pricing comparison is NOT a substitution comparison. ATP CTS sells pilot training records + maintenance publications access; FileFlo sells the compliance document evidence binder the FAA POI/PMI pulls during surveillance. The right operating model for most Part 135 + Part 91 operators is keep ATP CTS for the pilot training records database the chief pilot accesses every week AND add FileFlo for the §135.21 GOM file, the signed §135.293 + §135.351 + §135.345 training records binder, the §43.9 + §43.7 maintenance evidence, and the Part 61 currency cross-reference. Verify ATP CTS pricing directly during the ATP CTS sales process; FileFlo pricing is locked at getfileflo.com/pricing.
Does FileFlo replace the pilot training records database ATP CTS provides?
No, and the Part 135 + Part 91 pairing is exactly the use case where this distinction matters most. ATP CTS is the pilot training records platform where the chief pilot tracks every Part 135 pilot's §135.293 competency check date, §135.351 recurrent ground / flight training completion, §135.345 PIC/SIC proficiency check, Part 61 §61.56 flight review date, §61.57 currency (90-day, night, IFR), and the maintenance publications library the contract Part 145 station references for §43.13 performance compliance. That crew-records workflow is the daily chief pilot + DO surface: it runs every week as pilots fly, it integrates with the training-delivery LMS, and it is the single pane of glass the chief pilot uses to verify a pilot is current before assigning the next 135 leg. FileFlo does NOT attempt to replace that workflow. FileFlo is the destination for the completed compliance documents: the §135.21 General Operations Manual file with FAA-acknowledgment correspondence, the signed §135.293 competency check forms with check airman signatures, the §135.351 recurrent training completion certificates, the §135.345 PIC/SIC proficiency check records, the §135.63 recordkeeping binder organized per crewmember + per aircraft, the Part 61 §61.56 + §61.57 currency evidence cross-referenced to the §135.293 file, plus the §43.9 maintenance entries + §43.7 RTS sign-offs the contract Part 145 station files against the ATP CTS-supplied OEM manual revision. The combined operating model is: ATP CTS for the pilot training records database the chief pilot accesses every week + FileFlo for the §135.21 / §135.293 / §135.351 / §135.345 / §43.9 compliance document evidence binder the POI/PMI pulls during surveillance.
Can FileFlo hold the 14 CFR §135.21 General Operations Manual file the POI pulls during Part 135 surveillance?
Yes, and this is FileFlo's strongest use case for ATP CTS-running Part 135 air carriers. 14 CFR §135.21 requires every Part 135 certificate holder (other than those operating under §135.21(b) limited exceptions) to prepare, keep current, and follow a General Operations Manual (GOM) and Maintenance Manual (MM, often combined as the GOM/MOM or GMM in Part 135 operator terminology) acceptable to the FAA Administrator. The GOM/MOM must contain the procedures, instructions, and information necessary to operate the Part 135 certificate: the §135.293 competency check procedures, the §135.351 recurrent training procedures, the §135.345 PIC/SIC proficiency check procedures, the §135.63 recordkeeping procedures, the §135.65 reporting mechanical irregularities procedures, the §135.67 reporting potentially hazardous meteorological conditions procedures, the §135.83 operating information for the pilot in command procedures, and the contract maintenance arrangement procedures under §135.411 and §135.443. The GOM/MOM must be revised whenever any procedure changes, must be made available to all operations personnel, and must be made available to the FAA POI on request. FAA Order 8900.1 Volume 3 Chapter 18 governs POI surveillance of Part 135 GOM/MOM compliance plus OpSpecs review. ATP CTS holds the pilot training records and the maintenance publications library; it does not hold the §135.21 GOM/MOM document itself, it does not version-track GOM/MOM revisions, and it does not hold the FAA-acknowledgment correspondence chain. The Part 135 operator that walks into POI surveillance with ATP CTS-supplied pilot training records but cannot produce the current-revision §135.21 GOM/MOM with version history, revision dates, and FAA-acknowledged revision letters is the operator that picks up a §135.21 finding (and in repeat-finding cases the §135.25 certificate enforcement action). FileFlo holds the §135.21 GOM/MOM file, version-tracks every revision, holds the FAA-acknowledgment correspondence, and produces the FAA-ready §135.21 binder in one click, with the cross-references to §135.293 competency check procedures, §135.351 recurrent training procedures, and §135.63 recordkeeping procedures readable to the POI.
Does FileFlo hold the signed §135.293 + §135.351 + §135.345 training records evidence + Part 61 currency cross-reference the POI pulls during a Part 135 surveillance event?
Yes, and this is where the ATP CTS + FileFlo pairing closes the most operational risk. 14 CFR §135.293 requires every Part 135 pilot to pass a competency check (oral exam, instrument proficiency check, and flight check) in each aircraft the pilot is qualified to fly, within the preceding 12 calendar months, administered by a check airman approved under §135.337 or by the Administrator. 14 CFR §135.351 requires every Part 135 pilot to complete recurrent ground and flight training within the preceding 24 calendar months (12 months for emergency procedures) covering the §135.345 PIC/SIC competency areas, the aircraft systems, the operating procedures, the emergency procedures, and the FAA-required ground-training subjects per §135.345. 14 CFR §135.345 separately requires the PIC and SIC to pass proficiency checks demonstrating the operating skills under simulated IFR or actual IFR conditions when the certificate authorizes IFR operations. 14 CFR Part 61 §61.56 separately requires every pilot acting as PIC to complete a flight review within the preceding 24 calendar months, and §61.57 requires recent flight experience (3 takeoffs and landings within the preceding 90 days for currency, plus night and IFR currency requirements). ATP CTS tracks the date the pilot completed each event; that is the records-database surface. ATP CTS does NOT hold the signed evidence: the §135.293 competency check completion form with the check airman signature, the §135.351 recurrent training completion certificate with the ground-training subjects covered and the training captain signature, the §135.345 PIC/SIC proficiency check write-up, the §61.56 flight review endorsement, the §61.57 logbook currency evidence cross-referenced to the §135.293 IPC, or the §135.63 crewmember recordkeeping file showing how the §135.293 / §135.351 / §135.345 / Part 61 events fit together for each crewmember. The signed records are the document evidence the POI pulls during Part 135 surveillance. The Part 135 operator that has the ATP CTS-supplied training dates but cannot produce the signed §135.293 + §135.351 + §135.345 + §61.56 + §61.57 evidence reconciled to the §135.63 crewmember file is the operator that picks up a §135.63 finding (and in repeat-finding cases the §135.293 / §135.351 enforcement action). FileFlo holds the §135.63 crewmember binder, the signed §135.293 + §135.351 + §135.345 forms, the §61.56 + §61.57 cross-reference, and produces the one-click POI surveillance binder organized to the FAA Order 8900.1 Volume 3 Chapter 18 inspector checklist.
What about the maintenance side: does FileFlo hold §43.9 entries the contract Part 145 station files against ATP CTS-supplied OEM manual revisions?
Yes. The Part 135 + Part 91 operator running ATP CTS for crew training records and the maintenance publications library typically contracts maintenance to a Part 145 repair station that performs the work under the §43.13 acceptable-data source: the current-revision OEM maintenance manual ATP CTS supplies. ATP CTS is the upstream tech-pub source for §43.13 performance compliance. ATP CTS does NOT hold the signed evidence the contract Part 145 station files when the work completes: the §43.9 maintenance entry citing the ATP CTS-supplied manual revision and date, the §43.7 RTS sign-off, the inspector signature, the §91.417 retention file (for Part 91 corp flight dept use) or the §135.63 recordkeeping file (for Part 135 use), the Form 8130-3 Authorized Release Certificate for installed components, and the Airworthiness Directive compliance evidence under Part 39 / §91.403. FileFlo holds the §43.9 + §43.7 + §91.417 / §135.63 + Form 8130-3 + Part 39 binder per aircraft tail, AI-classified, retention-tracked, and produced as the one-click POI/PMI surveillance binder. Civil-penalty exposure under 49 U.S.C. §46301 runs up to $37,377 per violation per day for 2026, and a Part 135 surveillance event with §135.21 + §135.293 + §135.351 + §135.63 + §43.9 finding compound can escalate to a six-figure civil penalty exposure for the certificate holder.
Keep ATP CTS. Add the binder.
Build your first 14 CFR §135.21, §135.293, or §135.351 audit binder today, at a flat $299/mo, unlimited pilots and aircraft. 5-day free trial, no card, no sales call.
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