You check final for approaching traffic (looks clear), then taxi onto the runway centerline. After throttling up you release the brakes, and the aircraft begins to rapidly accelerate under the power of four-hundred horses. Given the zero-wind condition both feet remain neutral on the rudders – there is no left turning tendency. Surpassing 85 mph you rotate to a best rate pitch attitude of 105 mph (blue line). “Out of useable,” you call out while reaching down to pull the handle which swings the gear. According to the departure briefing, you are now committed to flying the multi-engine Piper Seneca even if an engine fails. Unlike the single-engine aircraft you normally pilot, the twin reaches 1,000 feet above the ground in a matter of seconds. You reduce the manifold on both engines to 24 inches, then reduce both propeller RPMs to 2,400. It’s now time for OEI (One Engine Inoperative) work in the practice area which includes fully feathering a propeller in flight, then securing that engine. This is a snapshot of what working towards your commercial multi-engine rating involves.
There will be significantly more multi-engine training in the Seneca since High Flight Academy earned its 141 multi-engine course certification following Chief Flight Instructor Chris Hayden’s proficiency flight with the FAA back in October. Working through a university partner, or internally here at High Flight, students now have more financial options (access to financial aid, student loans, and VA benefits) when it comes to earning their commercial multi. This is significant because most Part 121 (airline) and Part 135 (charter) operators require pilot applicants to have their commercial multi-engine rating before being able to apply.
Under part 61, there are no minimum aeronautical experience requirements for a multi-engine class rating add-on to an existing single-engine commercial pilot certificate. Most commercial pilots earn their multi in less than ten hours. However, under High Flight Academy’s approved 141 syllabi, training must be completed in no less than 15 hours. Do you have what it takes to earn your commercial multi-engine rating? Connect with Chris Hayden, Robert Marshall, or Shawn Marcellus, all current MEIs (Multi-Engine Instructors), to learn more about training in High Flight’s Seneca, your last step before landing that aviation career you have always dreamt about.