Skip the multi?

[av8sean]

I'm seriously considering skipping my MEL after I complete my commercial rating -- and just go straight to my CFI ratings. After I start working as a CFI, then I could work on the multi as money permits.

I know getting multi time is essential to getting a job down the road, but most CFI's here in socal RARELY ever see multi students, and maintaining my multi skills on my own by renting is not a practical option right away ($165/hr).

What's the consensus on which order to do licenses...


-Sean

 

[jtrain609]

I'm doing that also. I'm doing my commercial and CFI at the same time and quite honestly don't have the money to do the multi yet. Just grab the multi rating as soon as you can after commercial.

Cheers


John Herreshoff

 

[braidkid]

I second what John said...I just got my commercial ASEL and am working diligently on my CFI. I think
that is a logical order of doing things. However, I wouldn't put off the multi comm rating just because you're
afraid you won't get any time....you never know when the opportunity will arise and you better have the
qualifications when things begin to open up. Therefore, if finances permit it I would still get your multi
sooner rather than later to make sure you have the necessary requirements for that flying job. Just my
spin on things.......

 

[Eagle]

yep, get the multi after you start to teach,

Better to be on someone's payroll sooner (for resume reasons)

Plus you will prob get a break on the cost of the multi airplane.

 

[drumminpilot]

Wow, I was signing on here to post the exact same question. Thanks for the answers guys, think I'm gonna follow suit and put off the multi til after my CFI.

 

[mikek123]

I would do the multi first only if the cost of the plane isn't constantly going up. I did my multi and CFI at Riddle and probably saved $1000 by doing the multi first since the price of the airplane has gone up about $40 an hour since I did it.

 

[CaliforniaSurfer]

iware,

Are you pretty sure of getting a job if you get your CFI certificate? Are you going to instruct at Pinnacle?

Surf

 

[HankHill]

"I'm seriously considering skipping my MEL after I complete my commercial rating -- and just go straight to my CFI ratings. After I start working as a CFI, then I could work on the multi as money permits."

sounds like a good plan

 

[Fearless]

I did my certificates and ratings in the order:

Private, ASEL (Airplane Single-Engine Land) (1987)
Instrument (1988)
Commercial, ASEL (1989)
CFI (1991)
CFII (1991)
Commercial, AMEL (Airplane Multiengine Land) (1994)
MEI (1995)
ATP, ASEL and AMEL (1996)

I paid for my multi commercial, MEI and ATP using income from my flight instructor job. The CFI job didn't pay very well. I once calculated that I had to give 32 hours of dual instruction to pay for each hour of training in the twin (a Beech Baron).

After all that flight instructing, the MEI was very simple, probably the easiest checkride I've ever taken.

Instructing in a twin (especially a high-performance one, like the Baron) will keep you busy. It also has the potential to be quite hazardous. I'd recommend to any future MEI that they spend a couple of hundred hours teaching in single-engine aircraft prior to doing any multiengine instruction. (In over 9000 hours of flying, the absolute worst situation I've ever been in was after I had an engine failure, in a twin, while instructing. We came that close >< to going into the trees.)

Unfortunately, there's relatively few flight schools where you will be able to do a lot of multiengine instruction. One way to get around this problem is to flight instruct until you reach Part 135 minimums (1200 TT), then get a job flying freight in a twin. As a freight pilot, I was able to log over 100 hours a month multiengine time. The best I ever did as a CFI was 50-60 hours of multi time a month, and that was at a very busy flight school that specialized in multiengine training.

One comment: I WOULD suggest you get your CFII immediately after you finish your CFI. Compared to the CFI, the CFII is very straightforward (I did mine in under a week). This will allow you to work with instrument students in addition to private and commercial applicants.

Best wishes,
FFFI