A multi-engine qualification is an additional certification approved by the FAA that qualifies pilots to fly aircraft with more than one engine. Both private pilots and commercial pilots must obtain this qualification in their respective certificates before operating a multi-engine aircraft. Just as an ASEL doesn't give you the possibility to fly an AMEL, if you have an AMEL it doesn't give you ASEL privileges. The multi-engine qualification is a pilot qualification that allows you to fly as a pilot in command (PIC) of any aircraft with more than one engine.
It is a pilot certification supplement necessary for any aspiring pilot to promote to airlines or to increase their overall marketability among the aviation workforce. You need additional training on an airplane. It can be single-engine or multi-engine, but generally getting training on a single engine is more economical. First you would get the instrument qualification of a single-engine aircraft, then you would get an additional qualification with multiple engines.
Multi-engine qualification is a big step in any driver's career. Consequently, it would be unrealistic to include the enormous amount of information in this report, which is intended to serve as an overview of ratings and endorsements. To read the practical test standard for multiple engine classifications, follow this link. ATP Flight School is a national leader in airline-oriented flight training and has partnered with United to offer ATP students the fastest path to a successful pilot career with United.
You will have to check with an inspector from the DPE (or the FAA) in order to be the pilot in command of an ASEL aircraft. Before August 1997, in part 61, there was no specific requirement to operate as a pilot in command in a complex aircraft, so it was considered part of the high performance criteria. To meet flight training requirements, you will need to receive and record training provided by an authorized instructor on a pressurized aircraft (remember the definition of pressurized aircraft) or on a representative or pressurized flight simulator or flight training device. ATP certification will also open up a wide range of job opportunities as a pilot with various corporate and private airlines.
I always thought that the multi-engine qualification was a complement to the single-engine private pilot certificate, but I just found out that a pilot went from zero hours to being alone with his PPL all in a Diamond twin. Since the candidate has already completed many of the tasks necessary to obtain a pilot certificate and has met the requirements for aeronautical experience, obtaining the qualification is a matter of learning the differences, understanding a new aircraft and demonstrating their competence to a pilot examiner. If you already have an airplane, helicopter, motorized lift or airship qualification, you don't need to take an additional knowledge test, as long as you add a class qualification to that pilot certificate level. Tail wheel approval does not require a minimum number of flight hours to obtain it, and it is possible to achieve it efficiently and safely within a few hours of receiving flight training.
The training and endorsement necessary to operate a high-performance aircraft as a pilot in command is not necessary if you recorded the flight time as a pilot in command of a high-performance aircraft or on a flight simulator or flight training device that is representative of a high-performance aircraft before August 4, 1997. A minimum number of flight hours are not required to obtain a complex approval, although you will need to receive and record ground and flight training from an authorized instructor on a complex aircraft or flight simulator or flight training device that is representative of a complex aircraft and has been demonstrated to be competent in the operation and systems of the aircraft.
