Riverside, thump pretty much summed it up... Be patient and get the MEI. You can then do several things to build multi time without even training someone for a rating; Flight reviews, IPC's, Etc. Also study for the rating while you are saving for it or at least before you show up at a flight school. Don't walk in cold and say I want a multi rating. Read and understand all you can before firing up an airplane. There is a lot more to learn about flying a twin properly and safely than most applicants realize. You will also get more opportunities, credit, respect, and credibility by having this rating.

 

Wow. Really?

That's arrogant.

Particularly for a low-experience pilot up and coming through the ranks, there's a lot to do without having a lot of multi engine experience. One may not be going to work for the airlines, but the airlines will still be there when the multi experience comes. No big deal.

I make more money in a single engine airplane than I did as a 747 captain. Go figure.

I like it better, too.

Not true. 14 CFR 91.109(C) requires a safety pilot when the pilot manipulating the controls is wearing a view limiting device (simulated instrument flight). The purpose of the safety pilot is see and avoid. See and avoid is a requirement whether IMC or VMC, whether IFR or VFR. The pilot manipulating the controls is still vision-restricted whether in a cloud, or not. So long as the pilots vision is obscured, a safety pilot is required.

Say again??

A "toss-up" between using 91.109(c) to inflate your time, or lowering yourself to fly cargo? You do realize that a lot of folks do or have flown cargo for a living, and it's not simply a stepping stone to get somewhere, or the boobie prize that you accept in order to boost your way into a poverty-paying regional seat. Right?

It's not really a toss-up, you see. If you have enough experience to fly cargo, then you aren't really trying to scrape together those first few hours of multi. Flying for a living, with a schedule, training standards, and specific time and duty regulations is not at all the same as renting a Seneca and cobbling together a few hours as you flit around the country.

You'll be far better off getting real world experience than trying to "time build. If you want hours in your logbook, commit the crime and falsify them. Make them up. Invent them. Visit your local airport and jot down N numbers, and put imaginary time in your logbook. Do that if it's all it's worth to you. Flight time isn't worth much. You'll eventually be found out when your abilities and decision making doesn't match the hen scratches in your logbook, but then the same applies if you attempt to "time build" and don't have a solid foundation and understanding of your craft. It shows up in a simulator, and on the line.

A few years back I was doing check airman work for a 135 government contractor. An individual came along who had been time building, and had a resume with regional airline experience, and training cited for well known facilities. He claimed time in type, and the individuals who prepared him for his checkride felt he was ready. I was asked to give him an evaluation flight in a lowly Cessna 210 one evening.

He didn't make it past the oral and I didn't give a formal question and answer. I knew more than enough about him before we got to the airplane, simply from our conversation and ultimately the way he preflighted the airplane, to know I didn't want to let him near the airplane. He was ultimately dismissed and left with his tail between his legs. Some fact-checking brought down all his experiences. Why try to make it up, why try to walk before you can run, when you can simply go get a job?

Most cargo jobs, however, require IFR Part 135 minimums. A few will take you at less, if you are competitive (Flight Express, etc). These are stepping stones, but not simply what you do if you don't feel like buying time. These are places where you go and work hard. You'll earn your experience and you'll learn something. Far more than you'll learn by "time building." You could call it experience building, if you like, but there's no way to purchase experience. Time, which isn't worth much at all, can be bought and sold all day long, or simply invented and written in your logbook.

I highly urge you to seek out experience.

There's nothing magic about it. Hiring is done competitively. Whether 100 hours is a published minimum or not is irrelevant. If you happen to apply at a time when movement is slow and more experienced pilots are applying, the real minimums are the competitive ones, which means you've got to compete against everyone else who has an application on the table. If the published minimums are 100 hours but everyone there has 5,000, then the real minimums are actually 5,000 hours.

Your basic qualification for a flying job isn't your degree. It's your experience. It's not the total hours, but something more intrinsic to your base experience level. The guy who's been flying dirty airplanes in the clag doing cargo runs at night, who's had to do single pilot IFR with a junk autopilot, who's been flying to minimums, or otherwise working his judgement and working the airplane, and who can show real world work history, is more competitive.

You've got a thousand hours right now. You've been flight instructing for less than a year. You're in good shape, and apparently staying quite busy. Does your flight school have multi-engine aircraft? Do others in the area? What's your rush?

It's about the journey. Everyone is impatient to get to the end. I'll tell you what's at the end. You die. The journey getting there, however, is all-important, and it's all you've got. Enjoy it. Take your time. Don't be in too big a rush to short cut the system. You'll get there soon enough.

 

This is technically correct, and I explained it poorly.

The gotcha exists when the pilot flying cannot resist the temptation to log IMC while in the clouds. In that case it becomes very difficult to justify logging hood and SP time.

But the FSDO's in FL used to be hard-over on this issue. They basically would not tolerate any SP time logging in IMC...I suppose they made the reasonable assumption that neither the hood nor SP was required in actual. You might win the battle with the NTSB appeals board, but my recommendation would be don't fight this one. In this case I agree with the feds...is anyone REALLY going to leave the hood on in actual? Really? I'd call BS on that.

If you're building SP time in AZ, should be no worries...

Also...be careful about logging XC time as SP. The SP is not a required crewmember during T/O and landing, and cannot log any XC requiring a landing. I'm not sure about ATP XC time.

 

I agree with John Burke, except I don't think thump meant that in an arrogant way. It's just that most newbies have their eye on the regionals or flying multi night freight as a stepping stone; in which case the multi time or MEI helps alot. However like John conveyed, There are many respectable and descent paying jobs flying singles that are often overlooked. Most of those jobs require a minimum of 1000 hours (even though the FAA says 500 for VFR 135) Consider flying "rural air service" such as in Alaska or even in parts of the lower 48. This is not bush flying. These are serious jobs that require much decision making and skill. These outfits often employ 200 series Cessna's but don't be fooled. This is some of the most precision flying you will ever do and most applicants will need additional training to pull it off. (Those 50 foot obstacles are real, and often taller, and not some drawing in a textbook or line in a flight manual!) Many pilots make a damn good living flying singles, and sleep in their own bed most nights.

 

You're probably right and I probably shouldn't have jumped on it that hard, but it was also a valid point.

I think folks do tend to get a little too wrapped around the axle with their sights set on the airlines, however...it's a big, wide industry out there, with a lot of opportunities if people will just keep their eyes open and their options clear. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, and never forget in the quest to push through one's career that the shortest distance between two points in one's goal setting is usually the great circle route.

 

Probably the best advice (again) is to go to a school that trains multi-students. Many of them will pay for your MEI or offer it at reduced rates to their instructors. Then you build the multi-time.

There are other good suggestions here as well.

Something to think about, if you are planning on doing anything other than low-end flying or staying in the same position your entire career, being a professional pilot is a constant "back and forth" of learning and teaching.

 

The school I teach at has one multi engine. But there are 5 MEI here but we don't have a lot of multi engine students so only two of the senior MEI flies the multi. Well the fact I have 20 hours of multi and I believe I have 8 pic I would like to get it up to 50 hours just to have something. Like I said before my parents are willing to give me money to get multi engine experience. I know cargo isn't a bad idea since I can get a ton of experience flying and it will help out for future advancements. Just weighing my options at this point and I've really enjoyed everyone feedback.

 

If you're interested in going to a California flight school that will pay for your MEI, PM me. I can set you up here soon, and they have a big need for flight instructors.

 

Don't you dare say IASCO. Lol I ain't going back up there, I like it in San Diego better

 

Oh, I forgot you already left there.