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3 Answers

X-C Requirements When Adding Multi Commercial to Single Commercial

Asked by: 2541 views Commercial Pilot

I am currently an instrument rated private pilot ASEL with a VFR-Only AMEL rating.  I got my multi before my instrument rating.  (With a 310 at only $85/hr wet, who wpuld pass that up?)
I am currently working to finish up my commercial ASEL and a friend has convinced me to add the commercial AMEL to put my multi rating to good use, make myself more marketable as a commercial pilot and to remove my VFR Only restriction. 

In setting up the customized training curriculum for my commercial AMEL, does the cross country requirement for ASEL meet that of the AMEL?  If so, all I need to do for the Part 61 requirements for the AMEL is the 5 hours of instrument, the engine out training and the commercial maneuver training.  I have met the cross country requirements for ASEL.  Thanks.

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3 Answers



  1. LTCTerry on Jun 15, 2020

    I did an add-on ME commercial in March. I had to do all the cross country flights, but you won’t have to. Why?

    61.129 describes the requirements for an initial commercial certificate – you are well familiar with the SE part. The ME part is virtually identical.

    I had a ME rating at the Private level with instrument privileges, though no solo experience at all.

    I had a glider commercial certificate, so this was not just a new class for me but category add-on as well. 61.63 Describes this. In my case everything from 61.129 was required. In your case just training to proficiency is required.

    In the Commercial Pilot ACS there is a chart for add-on ratings and what’s required. Here’s a funny quirk – if you are a private pilot with ME instrument privileges and a glider commercial certificate you do not have to fly the two instrument approaches on the checkride.

    My instructor sent a student to his checkride a couple weeks before mine with a total of 6.4 hours of ME time when he met the DPE. He had an existing SE commercial certificate with instrument rating.

    You don’t need five hours of instrument dual in a twin. You need enough training to be able to fly instruments on one engine – aka “train to proficiency.” Ditto for all the other requirements in 61.129.

    I was pleased with my DPE. He had not seen my combo before, but he was aware of the note about ME instrument rated commercial pilots. We was fair.

    Good luck! I just did my first right seat flight in a Seminole to start training for MEI. This will also be add-on as I am a CFI-G.

    PS I had marked up the ACS labelling what was or was not required for the ME add-on. A question I missed on the written (written required for new category) was a “not required” topic on the ACS. Good thig I had reviewed more than just the minimum. The written covers commercial for both SE and ME pilots.

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  2. Russ Roslewski on Jun 15, 2020

    61.63c, since you will just be adding a class rating to an existing Commercial certificate by that point.

    No minimum time requirements.
    No written test.
    Just “train until you can pass the test”

    This is exactly how many, many Commercial Multiengine rating are obtained. Nothing unusual about it.

    You will have to do a single-engine instrument approach on the checkride to gain ME instrument privileges.

    Other than that, just follow the Commercial ACS Additional Rating table and train to proficiency. Since you do already have a PP-AMEL rating, it shouldn’t take too much time.

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  3. jcturner3 on Jun 16, 2020

    Gents, thanks for the enlightenment. I will finish my SEL Commercial in the near future and will have contacted an MEI and flight school to formulate a plan of action for adding my MEL Commercial add-on. Since I was already Private MEL rated, I never considered the upgrade to the Commercial an add-on, but your input makes perfect sense and that is how I will proceed. I’m looking forward to playing under the hood in a twin! Thanks again!

    Blue Skies and Tailwinds! (retired MSgt)

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