Commercial multi-engine land add-on requirements

Applicant prerequisites

This course is for a pilot who already holds a commercial airplane certificate and is adding airplane multiengine land privileges. It is not the initial commercial-AMEL certification path under §61.129(b). Under §61.63(c), an additional class-rating applicant receives the required training and instructor recommendation and passes the practical test. The rule does not impose the same specified training-time minimums as the initial commercial route.

An applicant who already holds the appropriate rating at the commercial certificate level is not required to repeat an additional knowledge test under the conditions stated in §61.63(c). No fixed minimum does not mean no training is required. The instructor must train and evaluate the actual knowledge and flight skills, and an examiner must conduct the required practical test. A school or insurer may impose additional requirements.

ACS tasks for an additional class rating

The Commercial ACS Appendix 1 contains the AMEL additional-rating table. For an ASEL commercial holder it identifies required tasks including performance and systems, specified preflight procedures, normal and short-field takeoffs and landings, steep turns, slow flight and stalls, engine-failure tasks and multiengine operations. The evaluator may assess competence in remaining tasks as well. The table is a minimum test scope, not permission to forget weather, airspace, emergency equipment or airport procedures.

The ASEL power-off 180, chandelle, lazy-eight and eights-on-pylons tasks are not the defining AMEL add-on maneuvers. Multi-engine study instead needs substantial treatment of asymmetric thrust, directional control, propeller drag and aircraft-specific engine-out performance. Review the table that matches all ratings actually held; a different starting certificate can change the required tasks.

Instrument privileges and limitations

The table’s instrument-task footnote matters. Tasks involving one-engine-inoperative instrument flight and approach do not apply to applicants without an instrument rating or who have already demonstrated the required multiengine instrument proficiency. An instrument-rated pilot adding AMEL should coordinate the required instrument demonstration with the instructor and examiner to avoid an unintended class-specific limitation.

Read the resulting certificate, including any limitation restricting multiengine privileges to VFR. An existing instrument-airplane rating does not justify ignoring the AMEL demonstration requirements. Instrument currency, airplane class qualification and the practical-test demonstration are separate issues.

Plan the training record

Verify required endorsements, recent preparation and test eligibility with the instructor using the applicable rules. Identify whether the airplane also needs complex, high-performance or type qualifications. This course provides ground study and original questions; it does not issue an endorsement, authorize solo multiengine flight or grant an additional aircraft rating.