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Adding ME to CPL

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So currently in Maine adding an ME to my CPL. Training at Dash Aviation doing the high intensity course. This includes 7 hours in aircraft (a BE-76) and 3 hours in a Redbird Simulator.

Training today and tomorrow morning. Checkride tomorrow.

Training has been interesting and far more intense than when I did a ME rating in Australia 15 years ago. Today had 3.3 hours in aircraft and 2.9 hours in sim. The Duchess is old but good for instrument training as it is well built and can almost climb on a single engine. Training in aircraft was in two sessions.

First was VFR

  • Stalls – landing config, accelerated, power on
  • Slow flight
  • Steep turns
  • Emergency descent
  • Lots of normal and short field circuits

Then a 3 hour sim session which really tied down the engine out procedures. I have to say the redbird sim is very good although still much harder to fly than the real aircraft particularly the asymmetric rudder feel is not comparable.

Afterwards an IFR flight:

  • IMC engine failures
  • Vmc demonstration
  • Lots of asymmetric ILS and VOR approaches
  • Actual engine shutdown and restart
  • Vmc cut on runway at about 30knots (that is a worrying manouver)

Seems to be going well so far. I have flown the aircraft a long time ago and that may help a bit but basic instrument currency is more important.

Tomorrow is one more flight and a ground session on performance. Then the checkride. Will report back after tomorrow – unless I fail the checkride.

Last Edited by JasonC at 12 Jul 01:46
EGTK Oxford

Is this for an FAA or EASA CPL? Or both?

United Kingdom

FAA.

EGTK Oxford

Are you doing the ME IR privileges at the same time? Or is that a separate ride?

Never understood the logic on the FAA in this regard – if you do your IFR check ride in a ME aircraft, you get SE privileges as well. Fine. But if you do your ME Seaplane rating in a twin, you can’t fly a single engine seaplane? Makes zero sense to me. On another note, I wish pilots would know how easy the ME rating is to do. It really isn’t that big a deal. Probably the easiest rating to do out of all of the ratings.

Last Edited by AdamFrisch at 12 Jul 13:54

Yes it adds ME/IR. You can’t apparently do a ME/VFR only add-on to a SE-IR anymore. It was straightforward but jamming it into a day and a morning with checkride in the afternoon was pretty tiring. Is meant to be a 3 day course.

While I agree it is not that hard, most people don’t do it because they don’t need it.

I did pass though. Next stop Flightsafety Farnborough.

Last Edited by JasonC at 13 Jul 01:29
EGTK Oxford

Congrats, Jason! (not that I expected anything else…..)

Well done that man!! (Jason). While an MER might not be a difficult rating to do, I suspect doing the MER and IR all in one go focuses the mind, especially if the MER is an initial test. So credit where credit is due. I bet you enjoyed your cuppa tea after the test.

Always looking for adventure
Shoreham

Great work Jason!

Aren’t you doing the EASA ME also? You will need it by April 2016, together with the HPA if buying a jet.

OTOH if you do the FAA TR for a jet, that is somehow accepted by EASA directly.

Also AIUI the EASA CPL can be done in the USA too. It is the EASA IR which cannot be done outside EASA-land.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Yes I have to start thinking about the EASA stuff soon. It was unclear to me if the CAA would allow conversion of the 61.75 based-on PPL so I wanted to get everything on a standalone certificate first.

My understanding is that the CAA will allow an FAA type rating to be added to an EASA certificate automatically limited to N-reg aircraft.

EGTK Oxford

Congrats Jason!

Now, there’s still time to get a Piaggio Avanti!

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