Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL), Multi-Engine Piston (MEP) and Multi-Engine Instrument Rating (MEIR)

Where your theory exams and experience as a private pilot develop into professional licences and ratings.

The next three courses, Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL), Multi-Engine Piston (MEP) class rating, and Multi-Engine Instrument Rating (MEIR), can be completed in any order, with the exception that the MEP must be taken before the IR. The most common pathway is to begin with the CPL on a single-engine aircraft to keep costs lower, then move on to the MEP, and finally complete the MEIR on a multi-engine aircraft.

MEP

CPL

Entry requirements:

Have passed the ATPL theory exams
Hold of a PPL with a night rating
Have 150 flying hours, of which 100 hours must be PIC
Of those 100 hours PIC, 50 must be cross-country, including one 300nm flight with landings at three different airfields.

Course structure:

25 hours of flight training (up to 5 may be in a Flight Training Device).

Minimum 8 hours on a complex aircraft (4+ seats, retractable gear, variable-pitch propeller).

Approx. 2½ hour flight test.

Most CPL courses are flown on single-engine aircraft for cost reasons, though multi-engine options exist. If using a multi-engine aircraft, you must complete the MEP first or combine it with the CPL.

Note: Test aircraft hire and exam fees are often excluded from the course price.

Multi-Engine Piston (MEP)

Typically completed before the IR, it’s best to do this course on the same aircraft type and with the same school you’ll use for your MEIR.

Course structure:

6 hours of flight training + 1 hour flight test.

~7 hours of ground school + 1 hour written exam.

Multi-Engine Instrument Rating (ME-IR)

The MEIR prepares you for airline operations under IFR on multi-engine aircraft.

Course structure:

55 hours total training (up to 40 in a FNPT II simulator).

~17 hours in the aircraft (take-offs and landings are not counted as “instrument time”).

Approx. 2½ hour flight test.

If you already hold a CPL, 10 hours are credited towards this course.

Why not do a single-engine IR?

It’s cheaper (50 hours instead of 55), but only valid for single-engine aircraft.

To progress to multi-crew operations, you’d still need to complete a MEIR later—so most students go straight to the multi-engine version.

CPL licence

At this stage you may apply for a CPL licence, with a MEP class rating and an instrument rating. It is likely that you will have done the ATPL theory exams rather than just the CPL exams, so you will be able to fly as co-pilot on a multi-crew aeroplane.

Sometimes people refer to this licence as a ‘frozen ATPL’ or fATPL; there is no such licence really, they are just referring to a CPL with ATPL theory. If and when you have the appropriate flying experience, you will be able to upgrade to an ATPL without any more formal training courses.

Have any queries about which schools to train at for these courses? Get in touch today with our training advisors who will be able to help you.