Earning a Flight Engineer certificate
 

What's involved? Is there a practical exam, or is it just written exams like the ground instructor certificates? What are the areas covered during testing?

I'm sure there is a PTS for it.

But the problem is that any airplane which actually requires an FE is going to be extremely expensive to operate. Even simulator time could cost thousands per hour.

For those few jobs which still require an FE, they usually just want you to show up with the written test complete. The actual training and practical test will be done in the sim after they hire you.

If you want to be a professional FE (a rapidly dying breed) you probably would have to get experience in the military...I don't know of any other way for a newbie to "build FE time".

Rick is right that it's a dying breed. I can't imagine why one would want to spend money on a full F/E ticket. The written is just like any other FAA written in that there is a test guide with the questions. It's mostly regs that apply to big jets and B727 stuff (that's for the F/E turbojet). Just taking the F/E written is no different than any of the other FAA written. It's not expensive.

To get the full F/E certificate, you have to pay for ground school and sim training. Back when I got mine (1985), you even had to be observed acting as an F/E for one expensive trip around the pattern in a 727.

Sounds a little cost-prohibitive then. I was looking for something else to add to my resume, to help get an interview. Just like everybody else.

Thanks for the info.

Just found these links:

http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/...-S-8081-21.pdf

Gleim Publications :: Requirements to Obtain a Flight Engineer Certificate

It's definitely alot more than studying for the FOI/ AGI tests!

You can take the FE written for the cost of an FAA test (and some self study).

Good luck finding an airline hiring into the panel, but it could be good resume fodder to show you have a basic understanding of how a jet works.

Also, if you do take the written, be sure to take the "turbojet" flavored test, and not the "prop" version. There are still a few DC-6 era FE jobs, but that is a very very small community.

The only real FE jobs now are at the cargo operators. Most hire PFE's and require and A&P as well. Its how I got my start in jets back in the 90's. Even back then it was known as a dying profession.

The F/E requirements are found in 63.37. The checkride is in two parts. The normal set up and operation and then emergencies. Normally the normal ops is required to be done in the aircraft. Even if you meet the requirements that allow all the training in a sim, you'l get the 4901 exemption which requires 12 hours OE with a check wrench unless you do a LOFT.