Question for the MEI's (or anyone else)

K

KennPilot

New Member
Ok....So I just passed the instrument checkride and now I am going to start my Multi-Commercial. Here's the question; On the long cross country for the commercial (multi) do I have to fly it in a multi? The FAR's specifically state that both 2 hour cross countries (day & night) have to be done multi, and various other tasks specify multi, but the long cross country does not specify multi. The instructor I am going to be flying with thinks it can be done in a single, but another senior instructor thinks it needs to be done in a multi. Help! I thought I'd ask and see if anyone has had experience with this or not and where can I find a definitive answer (call the FSDO?).

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Kenn
 
Pulling out the brand new 2006 FAR/AIM . . .

Check out 61.129 which outlines the aeronautical experience requirements for commercial pilots. For the dual cross-country flights, the regulations explicitly require a multiengine airplane (see 61.129(b)(3)(iii)).

For the long cross-country flight, the regulations also specify a multiengine airplane.
61.129(b)(4): 10 hours of solo flight time in a multiengine airplane . . .
[to include] (i) One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical miles . . .
 
:sitaware: <---- lacking at the moment! :( I guess it would have helped to read the "that includes at least;" part of the FAR's. :) Thanks! I just read it for myself and I think that the FAA can secretly add FAR's to already printed books! Yeah that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it....yeah, yeah, the FAA just added that a moment ago.....yeah, yeah, thats the ticket.

Thanks again for the answer.

Kenn
 
If you do the single engine commercial first, then you don't need to do any of that stuff in a twin.
 
yeah, but I wanted more multi time so I'd thought I'd do it this way and do the single add-on. Going to cost me about $2000.00 more but it's worth it. (I hope) :)
 
KennPilot said:
yeah, but I wanted more multi time so I'd thought I'd do it this way and do the single add-on. Going to cost me about $2000.00 more but it's worth it. (I hope) :)
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Hate to break this to you, but what matters to the airlines is multi-PIC time, which, since you will not be rated in the category/class, you will not be logging. IOW, you will get no multi PIC time (same if you did the multi as an add-on) but pay more.
 
VicariousLiving said:
Hate to break this to you, but what matters to the airlines is multi-PIC time, which, since you will not be rated in the category/class, you will not be logging. IOW, you will get no multi PIC time (same if you did the multi as an add-on) but pay more.
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Unless he already has his multi private, or does that after the first few flights so he can log the rest of the commercial training as PIC. That would work (just add the cost of the checkride). Plus, he would probably need that to rent the plane to do the solo cross country. I think there is a reg having to do with being able to have an instructor with you on these flights if you perform all the duties (because of industry insurance requirments) but I have to look it up to find it.
 
VicariousLiving said:
airlines is multi-PIC time,
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Just an FYI, in all the 15 regional applications I filled out, I don't ever remember seeing a column for multi PIC. MEL, SEL, Turbine, PIC, SIC, yes, but not specifically PIC in MEL.

And the reg you're looking for is something with "supervised solo" in it. I'm also too lazy to look it up, but I remember seeing it not too long ago.

Your $$ would be better spent renting that multi and splitting it with friends going on xcty's than paying a CFI and the entire cost of the a/c for training, IMO. Get your SEL, then multi add-on, then rent.

~wheelsup

EDIT: I lied - I just looked at the PSA application and it has flight time broken down for aircraft type and PIC/DUAL given, etc. I believe that's the only one that wanted PIC in a multi, the rest just wanted Total SEL, MEL, etc. Who knows what's competitive, however I doubt having an extra 20-30 hours dual instead of PIC will hinder your job search down the road, when you have 100+ Multi.
 
ExpressJet wants to see multi-PIC on their flight time grid. All the airlines on airlineapps.com require a multi-PIC breakdown. The list includes American Eagle, Colgan, TSA, Mesa, Comair, Continental, Frontier, and Spirit.
 
You're right, I totally forgot about Airline Apps and their 15 hour long application that drove me to put my 2000 hours in a MS Access database :)!
 
Well......ya'll might have a point........hmm......maybe I'll just do my SEL Commercial and do the multi add-on, then find someone (my instructor maybe) who meets the 25hr rental minimums to split the cost with. Might be a better idea. Thanks for the input guys.
 
wheelsup said:
Your $$ would be better spent renting that multi and splitting it with friends going on xcty's than paying a CFI and the entire cost of the a/c for training, IMO. Get your SEL, then multi add-on, then rent.
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Unless he's going for Skywest. :)

I say that if he does have the money to spend getting that kind of instruction in a twin would be very valuable just from an experience standpoint. That is a big if though, considering fuel prices the way they are.
 
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