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What are the time requirements to go from Private SE Airplane and Instrument to Commercial Multi Engine?

Asked by: 3522 views Flight Instructor

ME Commercial from SE Private

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2 Answers



  1. Wes Beard on Sep 02, 2014

    The requirements to become a commercial multi-enigne airplane pilot are listed in §61.129(b).

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  2. Mitchell L Williams on Sep 24, 2014

    While Wes Beard’s answer is exactly correct, there are some interesting items to be aware of:

    1. Many of the aeronautical experience requirements have to be in a multi-engine airplane if ME is your first commercial certificate, and

    2. Some ME solo requirements allow a CFI to ride-along.

    I have used two paths to go from SE-Private to ME-Comm.

    Path 1: Get ME Private > build experience requirements > get ME-Comm

    Path 2: Train ME Priv > Give ME Solo Endorsement > Build Experience Req > Get ME Com

    Path 1 has two checkrides while path 2 has one, so the advantage of path 2 is the applicant saves one checkride fee.

    My insurance will not allow the student to actually fly solo with just a ME solo endorsement, so on path 2 all experience requirements will include a CFI riding along, while a real ME private can actually solo.

    In both cases we would train for Private pilot certificate: ME operations, engine failures, steep turns, slow flight, stalls, Engine failure at cruse, Vmc demo, engine shutdown, engine start-up, emergency decent, Single-Engine instrument approach, SE Circle to land, SE landings, short field landing. Then either send for private add-on checkride or Solo Endorsement.

    Experience requirements include 2 hour dual day xc, 2 hour dual night xc, 250/300 mile solo. I sometimes combine these and use the 2hr dual to get 250/300 miles away then fly the solo (with cfi) flight. 5 Hours ME instrument, ( have some in private training and some in commercial training), balance here. 5 hours night VFR with 10 landing at control tower, then additional practice to get to 10 hours solo.

    The Commercial ME checkride is very similar to private, so maybe 5-10 hours getting ready for steeper steep turns and tighter tolerances.

    Good luck.

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