What order should I do my ratings?
 

Want all of the regular airplane ratings thru Comm MEI... What is the most cost effective order to complete them? My FBO currently only has a single engine 172 available... Planned on doing all of my SEL's thru Comm there then maybe taking a week off work to do Multi ratings somewhere else... Then instruct for a while and when I have over 1000 TT, maybe do a 50 or 100 hour multi block somewhere in florida? (Going to do all of this while I'm currently employed hopefully)

Let me know if I left any out:
Private - SEL (Completed in 2007)
Private - Multi
IFR - Single
IFR - Multi
Comm - Single
Comm - Multi
CFI
CFII
MEI

It is not usually done, but the PVT multi may be a good idea if you can do some of your commercial training in a twin to build ME time.

I would not bother with ME IFR add-on, since you would already have an instrument airplane rating you can do that on your COMM ME checkride by doing one single-engine approach and some single-engine maneuvering under the hood.

Most people do their ME rating after their SE commercial...that way they get the ME rating (at the commercial level), and ME instrument privileges all at once. Fewer checkrides.

This is how I did it-

PrivateSEL
PrivateMEL
Inst-MEL
CMEL
CSEL -add on

*BEWARE* It wasnt cheap and I happen to be lucky getting some fundings towards my certification and ratings.

Cheapest Route (most common route taken)
Pvt SEL
Inst- SEL
CSEL
CMEL- add on
------

I did mine like you did, Bri. It's what I recommend if one can afford it. It isn't that expensive if you count that you're getting ratings and not just building multi time. It was nice to finish my MEI checkride with nearly 60 hours of ME PIC...

I'm not sure what you mean by ME-IFR add-on. I did my PVT MEL before my Instrument, but did the instrument checkride in a single engine - all it said was ASEL AMEL, instrument airplane - no ME-VFR only or anything like that -

But the Private multi makes the commercial ME checkride a lot less stressful.

I did mine
P-SEL
P-MEL add-on
IFR
CMEL
CSEL add-on (same day as mel)

-I did happen to be very lucky with the funding as well-

sometimes if you get a really nice examiner, he may throw you a "repeat customer" discount - instead of these asinine prices some others are charging.

A Private multi is pretty much a waste of money. The best two ways to save money on flight training are to study your six off and then stop trying to reinvent the wing!

There is no benefit to getting the private multi since you can't rent one. Sure you can log multi-pic but thats not going to get you anywhere until you've got much more total time.

With the economy being in the crapper and boatloads of qualified and experienced pilots on the streets you would do best to just take your time. When hiring does resume, you won't be the first call. You won't be the second call, you probably won't even see a job in the first hiring round.

My two easiest checkrides were my commercial multi and then my MEI, don't sweat them unless you're a hack.

One thing I've noticed as an MEI is people all have the same problem when they step up to a twin: speed calibration. When you're a 172 pilot the world gets a lot smaller when you step up to a twin. Spend about 20 hours in a Mooney or Bonanza and that won't be a problem since those singles fly at comperable speeds to most twins.

Lots of people have tried to find a "cheaper better way" to flight train. The only ways to do it are to be born right or to think right. There is no easy way to do this. If there were Gulfstream Academy wouldn't be in such hot water right now.

Here is how I did mine:
PVT (50hrs)
IFR (110 hrs)
COM (300 hrs)
Multi-COM (350)
CFI (500 hrs)
CFII (600)
MEI (1100)

Next week I'll pass my ATP minimums and the checkride is already scheduled for the first week in July. To date I've flow nearly 1500 hours in 30 different aircraft types (not models). Network, study, and strive to be "better" than the next guy, not faster.

I somewhat disagree with the whole don't get your multi-private. Don't get your multi pvt if its going to cost you much extra money.

If you decide to do your Comm multi inital with a single engine add-on, take the checkride for your pvt half way through and then you can log the rest as PIC. that way you will have your 15 when it comes MEI time.

I did mine this way too except that I did instrument in a single... And yeah, it was not cheap! But since I work full-time I was able to pay for it all and not take out any loans. Sometimes I regret doing so much time in the twin, but now I'm pretty comfy in it so maybe it was a good move after all.

I did mine the same way, and I can't remember whether there was a VFR restriction on the AMEL. I think there would have to be a restriction.

Maybe there was on yours ;)