Yet another rating/endorsement order question

[Matt Goodrich]

I have seen the following order referenced as the best/most efficient order, but it seems entirely geared towards those looking to go commercial. Private, Instrument, Commercial, ME, CFI, CFII, MEI.

I have no such aspirations. I’d ultimately like my HP, Complex, Multi, and Instrument in the near term and may come back down the road for more.

Given my situation (ASEL PPL), it seems like if I were to do my multi next in the right plane (Piper Aztec maybe) I could knock out the HP, Complex, and Multi at once, and then if I were to train in a single for most of my Instrument (some in a Multi), but take the exam in the Multi I could get all of the above accomplished. Am I understanding all of this wrong? Any downsides?

 

[Ravioli]

If it's just for fun, than you should consider:

Instrument cert now.
HP and/or Complex endorsements when you have access to planes that you'll need them for (same for tail wheel FWIW).
Wait on the multi cert until you have the need for it. (According to the web it's about $7,500 for a multi, and then the rentals seem to be about 2.5 to 3 times as much as a single)

 

[WDD]

M2C Private and Instrument are hard enough. Just fly in the Skyhawk or whatever your school uses for those two.

If you want to fly a HP, it is just a few hours to get checked out - same with a complex. You can really do that anytime after your private.

Multi is trickier. Again, train for that when / if you want to.

But don't try to learn how to manually lower the landing gear at the same time you're learning how to fly under the hood with ATC telling you to fly a hold and your right engine dies.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

If you do multi engine next as you suggest, you will have a PPL with SEL and MEL privileges. When you do your commercial, you will have to do two checkrides to get commercial privileges on both SEL and MEL. I’m not sure how cost effective that would be for you. Just something to think about.

 

[mandm]

I heard of a friend who flew upstate Michigan to do his multi for 5k in what I believe was a 3 day program. For me I think that’s too rushed and more puppy mill type. But up to you. Also does it count as a HP as I thought most multi are under 200HP per engine unless HP counts the total HP per engine?

I flew in a Piper Arrow PA28R200 before taking my PPL checkride. That was fun! I still enjoy flying in the Arrow and you can get the complex. Next I want to fly in the C182 to get my HP. Supposedly HP you can get a lot faster than a Complex which took me 10hrs per the schools guidelines.

Instrument is an important ticket to get. You’ll need 50hrs xc PIC and 40hrs simulated hood time.

I think after I get my instrument I might aim to take commercial and CFI around the same time.

I also want to fly in a tailwheel to see how that is.

 

[iamtheari]

Any plane you fly will probably require more hours dual for insurance purposes than for the applicable endorsement or rating. For example, I am looking at light twins and an MEI friend told me that he can work with me to complete the multi engine rating on my commercial pilot license and make it most of the way to an initial CFI with the multi engine rating by the time my insurance company is satisfied.

 

[RussR]

It was fun to do but if you’re not flying a twin it does absolutely nothing for you.

That's only true for certain definitions of "doing nothing for you". Some people just enjoy expanding their aviation knowledge and abilities, whether or not it is immediately applicable. For them, getting a multi would certainly "do something for them". I worked with one such guy adding on a Private Multi rating just a couple of months ago. No plans to get his Commercial, no plans to buy a twin, was retired and now just had the money and time to finally do it.

Heck, I'd venture that 90+% of the seaplane ratings out there were done just for fun. But saying it does nothing for them is inaccurate.

 

[Deelee]

I would have to second the vote for Instrument Rating next... And also second the comments about not worrying about the complex and HP endorsements until you need them to fly a specific aircraft. Although I ended up getting my complex endorsement while training for IR. But only because we bought a complex aircraft and I needed the endorsement to fly it.

Are you doing this for fun/personal reasons? Or are you going to make a living in aviation?

Like some other folks have said, if you aren't going to fly commercially, maybe focus on the ratings that will allow you the most flexibility and freedom in your flying. If you are planning to buy a twin, maybe get instrument rated, then get your multi. Guess it all depends on your aviation goals.

 

[Ghery]

I got my PP AAEL about 20 years ago. A year later I started my complex and HP endorsements as the club had a C-182 and a Piper Arrow. The club requires an FAA biennial (yeah, I know the FAA just calls them a flight review every other year, but...) flight review every year, so we did that in 2002 with the Arrow. CFI thought that was a good way to do a flight review, in a new (to me) airplane. The club's insurance required 10 hours dual and 100 hours TT to solo the Arrow and by shear dumb luck I hit both at the same time. Got the HP one morning and then took the Arrow on a XC that afternoon. 2002 was a fun summer.

Finally got my IR in 2011. I'm not night current or instrument current, but the rating is there. I've felt no need for a seaplane rating or multi-engine rating. Both would be fun, but after I got them I doubt I would ever use them again. Heck, I have enough trouble finding time to fly what I'm rated for now.

The bottom line for the OP is to do what sounds like fun to you.