sellener

Hello all, new member and new pilot! Just got my PPL with goal of instructing and flying charter part-time eventually. Does anyone have comments or opinions regarding the order, and in what aircraft (SEL MEL) to pursue ratings/certificates. I'm not sure if it makes sense to get a ME rating and then fly a ME for instrument training or to hold off on the ME rating and just get my instrument rating in a SEL. Thanks,

Careercfi

Easier way is to get your Instrument onto the single - not as pricey.
When you get your ME and already have a I/R you just fly a bunch of approaches and the I/R translates right over to your ME.
In case you get the ME before you get the I/R you will have a longer way around. If money is no issue, get the ME, and get the I/R in a ME, it gives you a bunch of ME PIC time.
Good luck!

Photon

for my own part I did the PPL and IR in a single, then jumped onto the multi to get that rating. I then did the commercial multi as the initial rating, and got all the commercial hours there as PIC. After multi-commercial I'm gonna jump onto MEI as I already have a lot of momentum in twins at that point. Then single-commercial and CFI CFII.
Should leave you with about 60 multi-hours or so, 40 of them PIC, and not extremely expensive.

ryan1234

Get the ME add on first. You'll save money in the long run, and you'll gain a lot more experience. You can look for other multi pilots to share time with on your way to your commercial, you can also log any other complex time as well. Get the instrument instruction in a single with a little bit here and there in the multi... then maybe you can ask the examiner if you can take the IR checkride in the single, and just do a single engine NPA in the multi (so you won't be limited to multi-vfr only). There are a lot of people out there that are looking for people to share costs in multi xc's. Especially if you become an MEI, get as much multi-time as possible... and you'll already have more than the min. 15 multi pic.
If you can find a dry-rate Seneca I... you can get them to burn about 17-18gph cruise total... it won't be that bad.. just don't forget to trim for landing. The Seneca is a great airplane to get a multi in.

Diver Driver

Get your IR first, then your SE Commercial, your multi engine rating (done last) will be added on your commercial cert along with instrument privileges when you take the ride. This will no doubt save you the most money as you will otherwise have to take a separate checkride to gain commercial/IR privileges in the ME if you do it before your IR and commercial.

Careercfi

no longer possible.

ryan1234

Career CFI: so "VFR only" is just limited to type ratings now right? I guess I'm out of the loop.... I was under the impression that you still needed to show multi "proficiency" and the instrument rating was more specific to the class. At least that's what my examiner told me... Is it just specific to the category now? Would you mind explaining how that works because I'm really not sure anymore?

Careercfi

Ryan1234: the only time you get a VFR only ME- Rating is if it is added to a PPC without the airman holding an I/R. There won't be a remark though. Once the airman has a I/R, Instrument proficiency has to be demonstrated in that ME aircraft. It's an Instrument Airplane Rating.
I remember some time ago you could just add the ME and have a commercial pilot with instrument rating obtained on a SEL. You would get a VFR only for multi under limitations. I think something happened to the centerline thrust multi engine limitations too, but really not sure.

I believe type ratings can still bear the VFR limitation, but not sure either. Seen it somewhere...

Here it is:
Certificates

DOI: 12/12/2005
Certificate: PRIVATE PILOT
Rating(s):
PRIVATE PILOT
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND
INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE

Type Ratings

P/B-707 P/B-720 P/CE-500 P/G-1159 P/HS-125
P/LR-JET


Limits

B-707 SIC PRIVILEGES ONLY.
CE-500 (VFR ONLY).

ryan1234

Ok, thanks for the explanation... I had the multi before the instrument and the examiner said that all of the requirements could have been met in a single-engine including the checkride... except a portion of the checkride was done in a multi for the one engine out NPA...
I've heard it all kinds of different ways from different examiners...never really been sure about it... thanks for clearing it up.

Careercfi

There you have it, the PTS says to perform a non precision single engine.
Thats all that is tagged on to your multi check ride if you are instrument rated.
Makes sense in a way. Most people I know didn't get their initial instrument in a multi, looking at $125+ CFI an hour for some good shape 172 versus $250+ CFI for some beat up Apache, even when doing it in minimum time you need some 30 hours in the plane. But if you absolutely need the multi time, this is the way to go.