Understanding multi-engine rating requirements is the first step for any pilot who dreams of flying more capable and faster twin-engine aircraft. If you’ve ever wondered where to start with your multi-engine training, you’re not alone.

The path to earning this qualification can seem confusing at first. There isn’t a single, universal route to certification—and choosing the wrong one can cost you both time and money.

The good news? Meeting the multi-engine rating requirements is simpler than most pilots expect. In this article, we’ll explain exactly what’s needed to earn your rating efficiently, avoid common mistakes, and prepare for real-world multi-engine operations.

Whether you’re a private pilot expanding your skills or a future airline captain working toward advanced certification, this guide will help you navigate every stage of the process.

Key Takeaways

• A multi-engine rating allows a pilot to fly faster and more capable multi-engine airplanes.
• You can add a multi-engine rating to an existing pilot certificate with no minimum time requirements.
• The multi-engine rating requires a practical test but no knowledge test.

Understanding Multi-Engine Rating Requirements

A multi-engine rating is a qualification that allows a pilot to fly an aircraft with more than one engine, but before you can do that, it’s essential to understand the multi-engine rating requirements. This rating can be “added” to your existing single-engine pilot certificate once all FAA training and proficiency standards are met.

Should I Get a Multi-Engine Rating?

Multi-engine airplanes are popular for good reason. They meet the multi-engine rating requirements for performance, safety, and operational capability—factors that appeal to both private and commercial pilots.

These aircraft can fly faster and farther than most single-engine models, carry more passengers and cargo, and provide a significant safety margin in case of engine failure. Understanding and meeting the multi-engine rating requirements ensures that a pilot is properly trained to handle asymmetric thrust, engine-out procedures, and the added systems complexity of twin-engine operations.

Are you a private pilot considering a step up to a light twin? You might find that the benefits of a multi-engine aircraft far outweigh the increased operating costs. In that case, pursuing a rating that satisfies all multi-engine rating requirements is an excellent choice for expanding your skills and opportunities.

If your goal is to become a professional pilot, obtaining this qualification is essential. Virtually all airline and commercial operations require pilots who have met formal multi-engine rating requirements and hold valid twin-engine privileges. Without them, job prospects in commercial aviation are limited, making this step a crucial milestone in your training path.

What Is a Rating, Anyway?

A rating defines the specific operating privileges and limitations attached to a pilot certificate — and understanding how it relates to multi-engine rating requirements is essential before advancing your qualifications.

For example, if you earned your private pilot certificate in a Cessna 172, you’re rated in the Airplane category and the Single-Engine Land class. This rating limits you to flying only single-engine land airplanes.

To operate aircraft with more than one engine, you’ll need to meet the multi-engine rating requirements and add the Multi-Engine Land class to your certificate. Doing so expands both your privileges and your professional opportunities as a pilot.

How to Add a Multi-Engine Rating to Your Certificate

Thankfully, there is an easy and straightforward way to add additional ratings to your private or commercial pilot certificate. The process for meeting the multi-engine rating requirements is more flexible than many pilots expect.

The best part? You can earn the multi-engine rating with no minimum multi-engine training hours specified by the FAA. Yes, you read that correctly — there’s no strict hour requirement. What matters most is that you meet all proficiency and knowledge standards defined under the multi-engine rating requirements.

Your multi-engine instructor (MEI) will evaluate your progress and determine when you’ve reached the required level of knowledge, skill, and confidence. Once you meet those multi-engine rating requirements, your instructor will sign you off for the practical test. You don’t even need to take a separate written knowledge test.

Passing the practical checkride officially adds the multi-engine rating to your pilot certificate. While there isn’t a separate written exam, the multi-engine rating requirements do include an oral portion during the practical test, where you’ll demonstrate a clear understanding of systems, procedures, and emergency handling.

Certificate Considerations

If you only plan on staying at the private pilot certificate level, you’ll simply add the multi-engine rating to your private pilot certificate — and you’re done. That step satisfies the multi-engine rating requirements for private-level privileges.

But what if you plan to pursue your commercial certificate later? Here, understanding how the multi-engine rating requirements interact with different certificate levels becomes important.

Let’s say you add a multi-engine rating to your private pilot certificate, then later earn your commercial certificate in a single-engine airplane. In that case, the private pilot multi-engine rating does not automatically transfer to your new commercial certificate. To exercise commercial privileges in multi-engine aircraft, you must complete another practical test and meet all applicable multi-engine rating requirements for the commercial level.

Unless you intend to remain at the private pilot level, it’s generally smarter to wait until you earn your commercial certificate before adding the multi-engine rating. Doing so ensures your training time, proficiency, and testing all align under the same FAA multi-engine rating requirements, saving you both effort and expense.

Do I Need an Instrument Rating to Meet Multi-Engine Rating Requirements?

If you plan to earn your instrument rating at some point, it’s best to do so before adding the multi-engine class rating to your certificate. This approach aligns perfectly with FAA multi-engine rating requirements and saves you both time and money.

Why?
If you take the multi-engine practical test as an instrument-rated pilot, you’ll have just one additional task — performing an instrument approach and landing with one engine inoperative (simulated). Completing this demonstration fulfills the instrument flight portion of the multi-engine rating requirements and extends your instrument privileges to multi-engine aircraft.

If, on the other hand, you get your instrument rating in a single-engine airplane, that rating won’t automatically transfer when you add a multi-engine class. You’ll need to perform another one-engine-inoperative approach with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) to satisfy the multi-engine rating requirements for instrument privileges.

To streamline your training and avoid extra costs, it’s smart to complete your instrument rating before pursuing the multi-engine rating.

Multi-Engine Endorsements and Training Requirements

While working on your multi-engine rating, you may also qualify for other endorsements, such as the high-performance or complex airplane endorsements. These endorsements complement your overall multi-engine rating requirements, expanding the range of aircraft you can fly.

High-Performance Endorsement

A high-performance endorsement allows you to operate “an airplane with an engine capable of developing more than 200 horsepower.” Note that a multi-engine airplane doesn’t automatically count as high-performance unless each engine exceeds that threshold. For example, the Diamond DA-62, with two 180-horsepower engines, doesn’t qualify, while the Cessna 310R, with dual 285-horsepower engines, does.

Complex Airplane Endorsement

A complex endorsement authorizes you to fly aircraft equipped with retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable-pitch propeller. Most multi-engine airplanes fall under this category. Earning this endorsement often overlaps with meeting the FAA’s multi-engine rating requirements, giving you additional operational privileges without extra testing.

Should I Use a Multi-Engine Airplane to Log Complex Time?

If you’re pursuing a commercial certificate, you technically could use a multi-engine airplane to log your required 10 hours of complex airplane time. However, the FAA now allows pilots to substitute time in a Technically Advanced Airplane (TAA) to meet this requirement.

Since TAA rentals are generally half the cost of light twins, most pilots fulfill this portion of their multi-engine rating requirements in a single-engine TAA instead. It’s an efficient, cost-effective way to complete the commercial experience standards listed in FAR 61.129(a)(3)(ii).

Ground and Flight Training for Multi-Engine Rating Requirements

Training for the multi-engine rating involves mastering new aerodynamic concepts and aircraft systems. Ground lessons cover V-speeds, systems familiarization, and emergency procedures—core elements of the FAA’s multi-engine rating requirements.

During flight training, expect 7 to 15 hours of dual instruction, focused on coordination, asymmetric thrust control, and engine-out procedures. You’ll progress from normal operations to one-engine-inoperative flight, culminating in approaches and landings that fully satisfy multi-engine rating requirements.

Conclusion: Mastering Multi-Engine Rating Requirements

Earning a multi-engine rating is more than a technical milestone — it’s a transition into a higher level of airmanship and decision-making. Understanding and meeting all multi-engine rating requirements ensures that you’re not just legally qualified, but truly proficient in handling complex aircraft systems, asymmetric thrust, and engine-out scenarios with precision and confidence.

For private pilots, the rating offers new range, speed, and capability. For professional pilots, it’s a non-negotiable step toward advanced certifications and airline careers. Whatever your path, preparation and solid training will make the difference between merely passing the checkride and mastering the aircraft.

To further strengthen your understanding of multi-engine aerodynamics and safety, read
Blueline Multi-Engine Safety — a detailed guide to the principles that protect pilots during engine-out operations and ensure true proficiency in twin-engine flight.