Multi Engine RatingWhat Are the Pilot Privileges of a Multi Engine Rating?

A Multi Engine Rating is a pilot rating that qualifies you to fly as pilot-in-command (PIC) of any aircraft with more than one engine. It is a necessary pilot certification add-on for any aspiring pilot to advance to the airlines, or to increase their overall marketability in the aviation workforce.

Why Should I Get My Multi Engine Rating?

There are several reasons why a pilot might want to earn a multi engine rating:

• Pilot career advancement — required to fly for most commercial airline jobs
• You're qualified to fly bigger, faster aircraft with greater range
• Enjoy the inherent safety of having a second engine in the event of an engine failure

Learn to Fly Complex Aircraft

For all candidates, even those that already hold a pilot certificate, the multi engine aircraft is the first exposure to performing their duties in a complex aircraft. Complex aircraft implies the aircraft has retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller. These systems can present new procedural challenges and understanding of new systems to a candidate, in addition to new concepts such as multi engine aerodynamics, rules governing certification of multi engine aircraft, and unique engine failure scenarios, including actually shutting an engine down in flight.

What Are the Requirements For a Multi Engine Rating?

If you’ve already obtained a private pilot certificate, the multi engine rating becomes what is known as an “add-on” rating. Since the candidate has already accomplished many of the tasks required for a pilot certificate and fulfilled the aeronautical experience requirements, earning the rating becomes a matter of learning the differences, understanding a new airplane, and proving proficiency to a pilot examiner. In an accelerated program, this can be completed in as few as a couple weeks.

Required for a multi engine rating:

• Earn the required endorsements from an authorized instructor
• Take and pass a checkride with a pilot examiner to act as PIC of a multi engine aircraft

Not required to earn a multi engine rating:

• No requirement for a knowledge test (when the multi engine rating is conducted as an add-on)
• No minimum flight time requirement (however you can expect to need 10 to 15 hours in the multi engine airplane before receiving endorsements from an instructor)

If the candidate has never earned a previous pilot certificate, the requirements must be met for a private pilot certificate, although the multi engine aircraft may be used for all training.

Reference 14 CFR §61.103 for a complete listing of all private pilot license requirements.

Multi Engine Rating Medical Requirements

Medical requirements also remain the same as for the private pilot license and can be operated under any class of medical certificate, including the ability to fly a multi engine aircraft under the alternate, somewhat less stringent requirements known as BasicMed.

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