A multi-engine rating lets you fly airplanes with more than one engine, which describes most of the aircraft flown professionally. It is usually one of the quickest ratings to add: there is no fixed FAA hour minimum, just the training it takes to fly the airplane safely and pass a checkride. Here is what the rating covers and how it fits your path.
Part of our Commercial Pilot guide. Also see the full commercial requirements.
What the multi-engine rating is
A multi-engine rating is a class rating added to your existing certificate. It authorizes you to act as pilot in command of an airplane with more than one engine. You can add it at the private or commercial level: a private pilot can earn a private multi-engine rating, and a commercial pilot can earn a commercial multi-engine rating. Most career-track pilots add it at the commercial level because professional aircraft are overwhelmingly multi-engine.
No fixed hour minimum
Unlike the instrument rating or the commercial certificate, the multi-engine rating has no fixed FAA flight-hour minimum. You train until you can fly the airplane to standard, then take a checkride. Because multi-engine aircraft rent for considerably more per hour than single-engine trainers, pilots usually keep the rating short and focused. Many earn it in just a handful of flights.
Key topics you will learn
Multi-engine training centers on what happens when one engine quits. The airplane keeps flying, but it does not fly the same, and the difference is the whole point of the rating:
- Vmc (minimum control speed). The slowest speed at which you can keep directional control with one engine inoperative and the other at full power. Fly below it on one engine and you can lose control, so understanding and respecting Vmc is central to the rating.
- Single-engine performance. A light twin climbs poorly, if at all, on one engine. You learn how density altitude, weight, and configuration affect single-engine climb, and how to make smart go or no-go and engine-out decisions.
- The critical engine. On many twins one engine, if it fails, affects controllability more than the other. You learn which engine that is, why, and how it changes your handling.
- Engine-out procedures. Identifying the failed engine, securing it, feathering the propeller, and flying the airplane on the remaining engine, including engine-out approaches and landings.
The checkride
You demonstrate the rating on a practical test with a designated pilot examiner, including engine-out work and single-engine maneuvering. A good oral exam guide is worth its weight here, since examiners probe Vmc, critical engine, and single-engine performance closely.
What you'll need
Study guides for your advanced ratings, all from PilotMall.com.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours do you need for a multi-engine rating?
There is no fixed FAA flight-hour minimum for the multi-engine rating. You train until you can fly the airplane to standard and pass the checkride, which many pilots do in just a few flights.
Can you add a multi-engine rating at the private level?
Yes. You can add a multi-engine rating at the private or the commercial level. Most career-track pilots add it at the commercial level because professional aircraft are mostly multi-engine.
What is Vmc?
Vmc is the minimum control speed: the slowest speed at which you can keep directional control with one engine inoperative and the other at full power. Respecting Vmc is central to flying twins safely.
Why does multi-engine training emphasize the failed engine so much?
A light twin flies very differently on one engine, with poor single-engine climb and a critical engine that affects controllability, so the training focuses on identifying, securing, and flying with one engine out.