ATP multi engine holder with no single engine experience.
 

I have a question.
Some 40 or so years ago, my co worker had spent just 8 hours in a single engine Cessna before be selected to flight training with the US Air Force.
From then on he only flew multi-engine planes.
He flew the Cessna T37 Tweety Bird followed by the T38 Talon in training.
Then onto the F15 Eagle and finishing his career as squadron commander on T43 Gators (Boeing 737-200) before joining our company.

As he approaches retirement age, he'd like to volunteer at an organ transport charity that has Pilatus PC12s out of his home field.
He can not even take his grand kids flying in a rented Cessna.
How can he get single-engine privileges on his ticket?
Since his ticket only says ATP multi engine.

I would offer him the use of my Cessna 172 to do a Commercial single engine check ride.
But the thought of doing all the maneuvers having never done them before is rather overwhelming.
It doesn't sound like the sort of thing you could get ready for in a week-end.

So I'm now thinking a single engine ATP may be an easier way.

Any thoughts on a simple best way forward?

I did something similar. I held an Oz ATPL for single & multi, and then got an FAA ATP-MEL. Some years later, after working for a regional in the UK and then moving to the US, I wanted to add SE to my FAA licence. Having never done the FAA's woftam manoeuvers I opted to do an ATP-SEL+SES add-on (I'd always wanted a floatplane licence so it was a convenient way to kill two birds**).

For someone not familiar with the FAA specific manoeuvers, but familiar with ATP/instrument flight tests, then an ATP-SEL is definitely the way to go. It bypasses the whole manoeuvers bull!!!! (still have to do stall recovery & steep turns. Big deal) and reduces the flight to little more than a few precision & non-precision approaches.


**I did the test in a C180 amphibian. It was based at a land airport so doing the necessary splashes + approaches + stall/steep turns and then finishing back at the airport ticked the boxes for both SEL & SES.

One of the (many) changes post Colgan is a requirement for 50 hours in the class of aircraft to qualify for an ATP in that class. So your friend would have to get signed off for solo and putter around for ~40 hours before they could do the ATP SE checkride. It certainly would be easier to just shoot approaches v. learning the commercial maneuvers.

Tinstaafl: Good idea getting a ATP SEL and SES at the same time.
Thirty five years ago I did a ATP SEL in a Cessna 152 and then a Citation type rating for the ATP MEL. Killing two birds with one stone.


MarkerInbound: 50 hours in class. Oh dear.


Thank you for the input.

Funny timing for this thread, I'm in the same position. I have FAA atp- rotorcraft, atp-Mel airplane but no single engine airplane ratings jn FAA land.

I have all the requisite hours, I simply went straight to ATP with my type ride at the regional I fly for.

Seaplane idea is a great idea. Any suggestions where I can go about this myself?

I did mine with Trip Whacker (no joke) at Flagler County airport, a bit north of Ormond Beach & Daytona airports. He doesn't have a C180 amphib anymore and uses a Maule (I think) and a Beaver.

As best I remember it cost me about US$3000 for all training & testing (he also did the test).


<later>

Forgot to mention that I did mine in 2004. Prices are likely to be different now.

Thanks! I'll look him up

Turns out it's an amphib Husky he has now, plus the Beaver. And the price has hardly changed in 13 years. A few hundred bucks. The Husky must be a fair bit cheaper to operate.

Seaplane Ratings and Seaplane Training - Ryan Aviation