How do you get significant multi engine time at an FBO

ride

New Member
Hi everyone,

I'm working on my private certificate, and starting to plan ahead for how I'll obtain the rest of my ratings, and eventually get a job flying. So of course the big question is; do I keep my job and train at an FBO, or quit the job, take out a loan, and head to a big name flight school. I was pretty much convinced that FBO was the way to go, for all the obvious reasons (pay as you go, don't go into huge debt, etc...), but then I started looking at the hiring requirement for all the regionals and part 135 operators.

If you don't have at the very least 200 hours multi, you don't even meet the minimum requirement to appy. Most companies want you to have more like 500 hours multi. Sooooo, even if you get your ratings at the FBO, and become a CFI and log 1500 hours or more over the next few years, you're still screwed because without the multi time, you're never gonna get a job.

I'd prefer to do things at my FBO, as opposed to going to a school like ATP or Ari Ben that offer 200+ hours multi time programs...but renting a twin at any FBO I've found is close to $200 an hour, which is way more expensive than either of the above mentioned flight school.

So whats a guy to do? Anybody have any advice, testimonials, or creative ways to get affordable multi time without heading to a big flight school?

Thanks in advance for your input!
 
Look into Ari for your multi. Buy 100 hr block for @ 6,000. Once you get the multi rating, use the time to take family or friends flying.
 
I guess I lucked out because the school I train at happens to be the one that leases the Duchesses to Ari-Ben, so I can get the same kind of deal here, that they give down there. My advice is just search around, and get to be very good friends with people that own twins.
 
When I started my job as a CFI at a small flight school at an FBO in NC, I had about 35 hours of multi time, all in Seminoles, all from getting my multi-engine commercial and my MEI. I had about 230 hours TT at the time.

When I left that FBO job for my King Air position, I had 1050TT and a little over 190 hours of multi time. That's over 150 hours of multi time in about 800 hours of TT while instructing at an FBO. The bulk of that time was instructing in the FBO's only twin trainer, a Duchess. Toward the end, I also did some pilot service for a small company that owned a 310, and did some ferry flights in Barons. So, it certainly can be done.

Make sure to get your multi and MEI ratings as soon as you can ... you never know when you'll be able to use them. Make sure that whatever school you instruct at has multi-engine training aircraft. Then, start teaching in the twin as soon as you can ... the multi time will come if you go after it. Where I taught, we had mostly lower-time instructors, so if somebody came in the door for a multi rating, there was only me and one other guy that had the quals to teach them ... I didn't have any shortage of multi-engine students.
 
even if you have your mei a lot of places still aren't going to let you instruct in their twin(right away). especially if they already have mei's on staff. sort of a seniority thing. look into a program that includes all you cfi certs. and a lot of multi time. atp, and ari-ben do a majority of their training in twins. at atp you do your muti-add on to your private, then your instrument(in the seminole), then cross countries(75hrs) in the seminole, multi-commercial, initial cfi in the seminole, and your cfii in the seminole. i ended up with a little over 140hrs of multi time. not to bad for 0 hrs of dual given in a twin. i believe ari-ben does things in similar manner.
 
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Hi everyone,

I'm working on my private certificate, and starting to plan ahead for how I'll obtain the rest of my ratings, and eventually get a job flying. So of course the big question is; do I keep my job and train at an FBO, or quit the job, take out a loan, and head to a big name flight school. I was pretty much convinced that FBO was the way to go, for all the obvious reasons (pay as you go, don't go into huge debt, etc...), but then I started looking at the hiring requirement for all the regionals and part 135 operators.

If you don't have at the very least 200 hours multi, you don't even meet the minimum requirement to appy. Most companies want you to have more like 500 hours multi. Sooooo, even if you get your ratings at the FBO, and become a CFI and log 1500 hours or more over the next few years, you're still screwed because without the multi time, you're never gonna get a job.



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Don't despair too much! There are jobs out there available with less than 250 multi. A lot of airlines and small charter outfits seem to have the 1000 and 100 minimums. 1,000 total time and 100 multi time. That is often the minimum requirement, so at least you can get your resume in the stack at that point.

And I wouldn't recommend the academy route. Be very careful of what they guarantee you! Remember, they are trying to get a huge lump sum of money from you! Avoid any programs or costs at all that can't be logged and are not directly related to a pilot certificate.
 
good point mavmb1. some of these academies make you pay for sim time in crj sims or whatever. IMHO a complete waste of money. by the time you'd get any benefit out of it you won't remeber anything. unless you can find a crj job fresh out of flight school. good luck.
 
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even if you have your mei a lot of places still aren't going to let you instruct in their twin(right away).

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That's the truth right there, bro! Our FBO's insurance won't let a MEI instruct in the twin until they have (get this) 200 hours of multi-engine time.

With ME time like that, who would NEED to instruct????
tongue.gif


However, they have been known to "grandfather" some lower time instructors in as demand permits... which is precisely what I'm hoping will happen when I begin instructing. All 25 of my ME time has been in their plane.
 
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