Multi-Engine Rating

It really depends on your aviation mission. A multi-engine rating qualifies you to fly as pilot-in-command (PIC) of any aircraft with more than one engine. If you only plan to take short personal trips or fly as a hobby, then a single engine airplane may be enough to meet your needs. If you are pursuing aviation as a career, or you want to fly an aircraft with more power, range, and redundancy that can more quickly take you to your destination, you may consider obtaining a multi-engine rating. Not to mention that learning to manage the workload and complexity of a multi-engine aircraft is both exhilarating and rewarding!

The multi-engine rating gives you access to more powerful aircraft with an added safety margin. It is also a must for any aspiring commercial pilot seeking advancement to a career in the airlines or corporate aviation. A multi-engine rating is sure to increase your overall marketability in the aviation workforce. Here are some things to consider:

Among other things, multi-engine training will include pre-flight and post-flight procedures, takeoffs and landings, slow flight and stalls, operating at higher altitudes, and simulated emergency scenarios. Flying a multi-engine airplane involves mastering the differences in systems, performance, and aerodynamics between a single engine aircraft and those with more than one engine. Most multi-engine aircraft are also classified as “complex” airplanes, which means they have retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller. Multi-engine training may be your first exposure to complex aircraft operations. You will also practice various simulated engine failure scenarios, which includes shutting down and restarting one engine in flight.

There are several avenues to the multi-engine rating. It can be earned as an initial rating; however, that requires significantly more flight training time in a multi-engine airplane at an increased cost. The multi-engine rating is more often earned as an “add-on” rating. While it is permissible to add the multi-engine to your existing private pilot certificate, many pilots choose to wait until after they have first obtained a single engine commercial pilot certificate. Pilots who add multi-engine to their commercial rating will only be required to do one multi-engine practical examination. If a pilot adds the rating to a private pilot certificate, and then later decides to upgrade to a commercial multi-engine rating, an additional multi-engine flight test would be required.

As with any flight rating, the necessary training time can be highly dependent on the individual trainee. Ground training and study will be necessary to learn aircraft systems, limitations, etc. Flight training time can be reduced if you fly with consistency, gain proficiency, and maintain commitment to the training program. On average, it takes most pilots ten to fifteen flight hours to be adequately prepared for a practical flight test.