Multi Engine after Commercial?

[TK211X]

Is it possible to keep costs down by getting commercial done in SEL and then just getting the MEL rating in addition?

Or would I have to get those 250Hrs. In Multi before I can fly for hire as MEL?

I'm just a bit confused.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

You can do the SEL first and then do the Multi add-on after.

 

[frfly172]

Do the commercial in a single then get the multi with a ten hour multi course.

 

[jordane93]

You can do the SEL first and then do the Multi add-on after.

This is what I did. I'm doing my multi next month

 

[Ted]

Once you have 250 TT then you can get your multi commercial. You don't need to get 250 multi. Most people do their ratings as follows:

- private (single)
- instrument (single)
- commercial (single)
- commercial (multi)
- ATP (multi)

 

[TK211X]

Once you have 250 TT then you can get your multi commercial. You don't need to get 250 multi. Most people do their ratings as follows:

- private (single)
- instrument (single)
- commercial (single)
- commercial (multi)
- ATP (multi)

How hard is getting instrument? How many hours? Whats the book work like compared to PPL?

Edit: Also, what written tests are there and what's the check-ride like?

 

[Gucci Pilot]

How hard is getting instrument? How many hours? Whats the book work like compared to PPL?

Edit: Also, what written tests are there and what's the check-ride like?

As I was going through the ratings I asked all the flight instructors at my FBO what the hardest rating was. Flying wise they said the instrument(I agree), book knowledge wise they said the CFI(I don't know because I'm not a CFI). Instrument is gonna take 40 hours under the hood or in actual and 50 cross country hours. Private is hard because you are learning a new skill. Instrument is hard because you are learning a new way of flying. For the written test I would say get something like Sheppard Air and knock it out quick then actually get in the books and learn at a slower pace as you train. The checkride is basically some instrument approaches, holding, partial panel(attitude indicator and heading indicator covered up), and unusual attitudes. It's all spelled out in the PTS.

 

[bobmrg]

How hard is getting instrument? How many hours? Whats the book work like compared to PPL?

Edit: Also, what written tests are there and what's the check-ride like?

Go to www.faa.gov and click on regulations, then Part 61. You will find the hours regulations there. There is one written exam, just like the private. The checkride tests your knowledge of the National Airspace System, the various kinds of navigational equipment, your ability to communicate effectively in high stress situations and, of course, your ability to fly without outside reference and perform instrument approaches in crummy weather.

Most instrument pilots will tell you that the instrument rating is the toughest (the airline transport certificate is tougher, but only a few pilots aspire to that certificate).''

Bob Gardner

 

[Ted]

I felt more worn out after my instrument checkride than after my private checkride. Instrument flying is much more of a mental game that requires multitasking, planning ahead, and relying on gauges to figure out what your plane is doing (along with learning to not trust your senses).

Work wise vs. the private, I don't recall it being a great deal different. It's training. I studied for a written (which if anything gets easier since you learn the format, all the writtens are about the same). I learned new aviation-related skills (for the private I had already been learning aviation-related skills), etc.

Your private is about learning to fly well enough so that you can learn more. Your instrument is about turning flying into something useful, a means of transport that can be semi-reliable (very reliable if the plane is properly equipped and you are properly experienced). The commercial is about stick and rudder, being good enough to be worthy of being paid, and the multi is learning how to make more complicated decisions regarding engine failures, since you have a choice other than "I'm going down." ATP is basically taking commercial one step further.

The hours required are in part 61. There's no total time requirement, just XC and instrument. If you're short on XC, try to make your training flights count as XCs as well. That's what I did since I jumped from private right into instrument with very little time between.

 

[Everskyward]

For me, the private was harder, but I had no previous background in aviation. My first flight in a small airplane was my first lesson. By the time I got my instrument I had flown myself around a bit (back in the day the FAA requirement was 200 hours) and I also had a lot of time as a passenger due to my job as an aerial survey camera operator. The guys would sometimes let me fly the airplanes. I was comfortable in the airplane and had observed people flying instruments.

 

[StinkBug]

I used the King online courses for both my Instrument and Commercial. Got 94 and 96 on the writtens respectively and did very little studying. I did a lot of flying before my instrument ride and got to know my plane very well which really helped. My IFR check ride went by so fast when I parked the line guys thought I must have failed. I was on my game that day and everything went like clockwork. My commercial ride I wasn't as on my game and wasn't as fresh with the maneuvers because I took 2 weeks off to fly across the country right beforehand. I messed up more than I would have liked but overall it wasn't bad. That one is really very similar to the Private but with a couple more maneuvers and a higher level of accuracy.

The Private is a license to learn
The Instrument Rating makes that license useful and makes you a better pilot in several ways.
The commercial just allows you to get paid, but you'll most likely need that plus a fair bit of time to actually get hired.

 

[Kritchlow]

Go to www.faa.gov and click on regulations, then Part 61. You will find the hours regulations there. There is one written exam, just like the private. The checkride tests your knowledge of the National Airspace System, the various kinds of navigational equipment, your ability to communicate effectively in high stress situations and, of course, your ability to fly without outside reference and perform instrument approaches in crummy weather.

Most instrument pilots will tell you that the instrument rating is the toughest (the airline transport certificate is tougher, but only a few pilots aspire to that certificate).''

Bob Gardner

I would say the ATP is tougher because the standards are higher, but it's actually an easier check ride. This is because by the time most CP's go for an ATP they are reasonably seasoned instrument pilots.

 

[stratobee]

I would do the multi in conjunction with the IR. Otherwise you might have Commercial MEP privileges, but only SEP for IR. If you do the MEP IR, you get SEP for free.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

The ATP isn't really that bad of a checkride. In some areas the headings and speeds go from 10 degrees/knots tolerance to 5 and a few others, but no tolerance stands out as being overly difficult. The stalls really have no numerical tolerance at all.

I would do the multi in conjunction with the IR. Otherwise you might have Commercial MEP privileges, but only SEP for IR. If you do the MEP IR, you get SEP for free.

Or he can do the multi-commercial add-on and the only instrument stuff he will have to demonstrate in a multi is an engine failure during flight by reference to instruments and one instrument approach single engine under the hood.

 

[Kritchlow]

The ATP isn't really that bad of a checkride. In some areas the headings and speeds go from 10 degrees/knots tolerance to 5 and a few others, but no tolerance stands out as being overly difficult. The stalls really have no numerical tolerance at all.

In the last few years, at least the training programs for the companies I have worked for, ALL numbers for stalls have gone away. They switched to a realistic "descending" stall.

My current company only trains stalls, but doesn't test them. Could be because it's an Airbus but not sure. To get the plane to stall requires multiple failures.

ETA: of course the airplane CAN stall, just with the protections it's unlikely. Not sure if the sim can do it without multiple failures.