Originally Posted by
Otto123
I am in the same situation and am doing my Comm. SEL practical this next week. It seems from some of your responses that since Multi is (well everything is these days) so expensive that the best route for the Comm. MEL may be to fly the dual and test for the Private MEL after 15 hours? The rest of the hours building for the Comm. MEL can then be logged as PIC correct? I have asked the question many times to the local flight instructors about what the savings may be to do the ME training after becoming a flight instructor with the school...oddly enough, I have never really gotten a straight answer? I know all schools won't charge the same, but I was wondering if there may be an average cost savings.
Another question I have is trying to hire into a FedEx job or something similar where the flying is done by a single pilot in a Cessna Caravan...what type of time and what type of equipment experience are they looking for? Obviously as a new Comm. ticket holder or even a new CFI, there isn't a lot of opportunities to gain that turbine experience, but is that was is needed to qualify for that all elusive single pilot turbine cargo job?
Thanks for your help.
To determine the incremental cost increase for doing Comm time-building in a twin is easy...
Figure out how much of your time-building can be accomplished in the twin. Exclude your intial ME rating, since you would have to pay for that anyway.
Let's say you come up with 130 hours, of which maybe 30 will need to be dual (I'm just using these numbers, calculate your own).
Find the cost of 100 hours solo and 30 hours dual in an ASEL.
Now find the same cost for the AMEL.
Subtract the two, and divide by 130 hours. You are going to have to spend the ASEL money either way, so this is the extra amount you pay for that twin time...
Example:
ASEL: 100 x $85 = $8500
ASEL Dual: 30 x $120 = $3600
Total = $12,100
AMEL: 100 x $170 = $17000
AMEL Dual: 30 x $200 = $6000
Total = $23,000
Incremental: $23,000 - $8,000 = $15K
$15K/130 = $115. This means that you would be getting 130 hours of ME time for a net cost of $115/hour...pretty good deal (but please run your own numbers).
Some things to consider: If money is tight, you might not be able to afford to do this, even though it is a good deal. In that case you will get all your ASEL ratings, get a job and then try to get twin time. Maybe you can get an MEI job at some point...if you know for sure that you will have an MEI opportunity, then don't buy extra twin time.
Those FDX caravans are operated under part 135, so you will need 1200 hours to fly single pilot (FAA regs).
But why do you want a caravan job? The airplanes are operated by contractors (not FDX), Single-engine turbine will not make you competetive for any major airline (unless it was in a fighter), and you will not get preferential hiring at FDX. If you want to move on, you would need to go to a regional after the caravan...might as well just start at a regional.
BTW, caravans have a poor safety record in icing. Caravan pilots routinely give their lives for the greater good of over-night package delivery.
There are several threads here on the subject of caravan time...maybe you should check them out..