SmellsLikeAvGas said:
These are all really good points.. and I am currently working on my commercial as well (still at the early point of building time and learning maneuvers... I have about 215 right now, part 61.) I do have one question, though. At least according to my 2004 FAR/AIM, if you are going for the commercial multi engine (without already having the SEL commercial) you need 10 hrs in a multi, but you also need to do the 2 hr day/2 hr night VFR XC in the multi, and the long solo XC (or performing duties of PIC with an authorized instructor) also in the multi (300nm.) If 7-8 hours of your multi time was being spent on XCs, where you don't get much practice with landings and engine outs, wouldn't you need more training just to get comfortable with all that stuff, and might having to do all those XCs in the multi get more expensive than just doing those in a 152/172? Just wondering how it ends up working in the real world, with getting in the usual multi engine training, but also having to do long XCs in the multi as well.... ? I am not (at least at this moment) going for my CFI, so I might not even need the SEL comm, so I'm trying to see what works out best time and money-wise, but was just worried about the XCs in a multi eating away a lot of my moolah. Any thoughts, or am I totally misreading the FARs? Thanks.
(3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation listed in Sec. 61.127(b)(2) of this part that includes at least--
(i) 10 hours of instrument training of which at least 5 hours must be in a multiengine airplane;
(ii) 10 hours of training in a multiengine airplane that has a retractable landing gear, flaps, and controllable pitch propellers, or is turbine-powered, or for an applicant seeking a multiengine seaplane rating, 10 hours of training in a multiengine seaplane that has flaps and a controllable pitch propeller;
(iii) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a multiengine airplane in day VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical miles from the original point of departure;
(iv) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a multiengine airplane in night VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
(v) 3 hours in a multiengine airplane in preparation for the practical test within the 60-day period preceding the date of the test.
(4) 10 hours of solo flight time in a multiengine airplane or 10 hours of flight time performing the duties of pilot in command in a multiengine airplane with an authorized instructor (either of which may be credited towards the flight time requirement in paragraph (b)(2) of this section), on the areas of operation listed in Sec. 61.127(b)(2) of this part that includes at least--
(i) One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical miles total distance with landings at a minimum of three points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least 250 nautical miles from the original departure point. However, if this requirement is being met in Hawaii, the longest segment need only have a straight-line distance of at least 150 nautical miles; and
(ii) 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight with a traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.
20 hours in the multi..completing all of the above tasks...is the way I interpret it...but im not positive.
