Stop Wasting Time on Aimless Flying: Try These 7 Multi-Engine Time Building Hacks

Jeff Gerencser
3 days ago
4 min read

Meta Description: Master multi-engine time building with these 7 pro hacks. Learn how to reach airline minimums faster through accelerated flight training and efficient hour-logging strategies.

If you’re staring at a logbook with a few hundred hours and a long road to 1,500, you know the "time building" phase can feel like a grind. But here’s the truth: airlines aren't just looking for hours; they’re looking for quality experience. After 30 years in the cockpit and a career as a retired Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), I’ve seen too many pilots waste thousands of dollars "boring holes in the sky" without a plan.

Efficiency is the name of the game. You don't just need multi engine time building; you need a strategic approach that makes you a better pilot while checking off those boxes for airline pilot training.

In this guide, I’m breaking down the seven most effective hacks to maximize your multi-engine hours, keep your logbook clean, and get you to that regional jet cockpit faster.

How do you build multi-engine time efficiently?

To build multi-engine time efficiently, pilots should use shared time building with a safety pilot to split costs, enroll in accelerated flight training programs to condense hours into weeks rather than months, and focus on mission-style cross-country flights that build IFR proficiency. Combining these with an MEI certification allows you to get paid while building the remaining hours needed for airline minimums.

1. The "Safety Pilot" Split: Master the Legalities

The most common way to slash your costs is sharing a cockpit with another rated pilot. But as a retired DPE, I’ve seen logbooks get shredded during interviews because the "split time" wasn't logged correctly.

To do this legally under FAR 91.109, one pilot flies under a view-limiting device (the "hood") while the other acts as the safety pilot.

The Flying Pilot: Logs PIC as the "sole manipulator" of the controls.
The Safety Pilot: Logs PIC only if they are the acting PIC of the flight and are appropriately rated.

Pro Tip: Don't just sit there. Rotate roles every hour. This keeps you both sharp and ensures your logbook stands up to the scrutiny of an airline recruiter.

2. Leverage Accelerated Flight Training

If you’re trying to build time while working a 9-to-5 or dragging it out over six months, you’re losing money. Every week you spend "refreshing" your skills from the previous lesson is a week you aren't moving forward.

Accelerated flight training is the industry standard for career-focused pilots. By flying 4 to 6 hours a day in a concentrated block, your proficiency skyrockets. You stop practicing maneuvers and start mastering the airplane. Our multi-engine flight training programs are designed exactly for this: high-intensity, high-reward flying that gets you through your ratings and into time-building in record time.

A pilot using an iPad for navigation in a modern multi-engine cockpit, showcasing the efficiency of modern flight planning.

3. Fly "Missions," Not Just Routes

Airlines don't care if you can fly in a circle around your local airport for 50 hours. They want to see that you can handle the "system."

Instead of aimless flying, plan "mission-style" cross-countries.

File IFR every single time, even in VFR conditions.
Fly into busy Class B or C airspace.
Practice your arrivals and departures exactly how you’ll do them in a regional jet.

This turns your multi engine time building into a pre-airline internship. You aren't just building hours; you're building a professional reputation.

4. Get Your MEI and Get Paid

Why pay for hours when you can get paid to fly? Getting your Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) rating is one of the smartest career moves you can make. It’s the "holy grail" of time building.

When you’re the instructor, you’re often the one in the right seat of a twin while a student is in the left. You’re building high-quality multi-engine time, teaching complex systems, and: most importantly: earning a paycheck. If you want to stand out at a multi engine flight school, show up with your MEI ready to work.

5. The Part 135 Cargo Bridge

Many pilots overlook the smaller Part 135 operators. There are plenty of cargo and charter companies flying multi-engine pistons or turboprops that need "low time" (relative to the airlines) pilots.

If you have 500-750 hours and a solid multi-engine foundation, you might land a right-seat or even a left-seat job in a light twin. This is where you get the "real world" experience that makes an airline interview a breeze. You’ll deal with weather, maintenance, and tight schedules: all while building that precious multi-PIC time.

Two pilots collaborating on a flight plan, illustrating the networking and shared learning essential for career progression.

6. Use Animated Learning to Stop Wasting Air-Time

One of the biggest time-wasters is trying to learn complex aircraft systems while the engines are running. At $300-$500 an hour, the cockpit is the most expensive classroom in the world.

I built our multi-engine online courses to fix this. By using high-quality animations based on official FAA publications, you can master V-speeds, performance limitations, and engine-out procedures on the ground. When you finally strap into the plane, you aren't "learning": you're "executing." This saves you dozens of hours of frustration and thousands of dollars in fuel.

7. Network with a DPE Mindset

As a retired DPE, I can tell you that the aviation world is smaller than you think. Every flight is a job interview. When you’re at a multi engine flight school, talk to the instructors, the mechanics, and the other students.

Often, the best "hacks" for finding cheap block rates or shared time building opportunities come from word-of-mouth. If you demonstrate the discipline and technical knowledge of a pro pilot, people will want to fly with you. Check out our team's background to see the kind of experience you should be surrounding yourself with.

A twin-engine aircraft in flight, representing the goal of every aspiring airline pilot: consistent, professional multi-engine time.

Conclusion: Fly Like a Pro from Day One

Multi-engine time isn't just a requirement; it’s the foundation of your professional career. Stop looking for the "cheapest" way to bore holes in the sky and start looking for the most efficient way to become a captain.

Whether you're using our multi-engine checkride flashcards to nail your oral exam or joining us for an accelerated program, the goal is the same: Get in, get it done, and get to the airlines.

Ready to stop wasting time? Let’s get to work.

Jeff Gerencser Owner, Ace Pilot Academy Retired DPE & 30-Year Pro Pilot