MEI Ground School
Ready to add the multi-engine instructor (MEI) rating to your flight instructor certificate? Ace Pilot Academy’s MEI Ground School is built by an active FAA Designated Pilot Examiner — the person who actually administers the checkride — so you study exactly what you’ll be tested on under the current FAA-S-ACS-25 Flight Instructor standards.
What is an MEI (Multi-Engine Instructor) rating?
The MEI adds multi-engine instructing privileges to your flight instructor certificate, letting you teach multi-engine flying and endorse students for the airplane multi-engine land (AMEL) add-on. For career-track pilots, instructing multi-engine students is one of the most respected ways to build multi-engine time on the path to the airlines.
MEI requirements at a glance
- Hold a Commercial or ATP certificate with an airplane multi-engine class rating
- Hold — or concurrently earn — a Flight Instructor certificate
- At least 15 hours of PIC time in a multi-engine airplane
- The required training endorsement for the practical test
- Pass the FAA-S-ACS-25 practical test (oral + flight) with a DPE — no additional knowledge test for the class-rating add-on if you already hold a flight instructor certificate
Always confirm your exact eligibility with your instructor; requirements are governed by 14 CFR Part 61.
What the MEI Ground School covers
Every lesson is mapped to the FAA-S-ACS-25 areas of operation and taught from the instructor’s seat — because as an MEI you don’t just have to know the material, you have to teach it under pressure while managing the airplane.
- Teaching Vmc — the aerodynamics, the certification factors, and how to set up, demonstrate, and explain the Vmc demonstration from the right seat
- The critical engine and the left-turning tendencies — taught so your students actually understand why, not just memorize it
- Engine-out procedures — identify, verify, feather; drift-down; accelerate-stop vs. accelerate-go decision-making
- Single-engine performance — Vyse, Vsse, Vxse, zero sideslip, and service ceiling
- Multi-engine systems — propeller feathering, fuel crossfeed, and the systems examiners love to probe
- Instructional technique & risk management — right-seat awareness and the common applicant errors DPEs see most
Why “DPE-built” matters
Ace Pilot Academy is led by Jeff Gerencser — a U.S. Navy veteran, professional pilot, and FAA Designated Pilot Examiner with more than three decades in aviation. Jeff administers the very MEI checkrides you’re preparing for and built this ground school backward from exactly what examiners expect you to know and be able to teach. When you can explain a concept the way the examiner wants to hear it, you walk in ready.
Who it’s for
- CFIs adding the multi-engine instructor rating
- Commercial pilots planning the flight-instructor career path
- Time-builders who want to instruct multi-engine students the right way
MEI ground school FAQ
Do I need a separate knowledge (written) test for the MEI?
No. If you already hold a flight instructor certificate, there is no additional aeronautical knowledge test required for the multi-engine class-rating add-on.
How many hours do I need for the MEI?
At least 15 hours of pilot-in-command time in a multi-engine airplane, plus the required training endorsement for the practical test.
What standard is the MEI checkride graded against?
The FAA-S-ACS-25 Flight Instructor Airman Certification Standards (effective May 2024), which replaced the older Flight Instructor Practical Test Standards.
Can an MEI train pilots for the multi-engine add-on?
Yes — an MEI can provide the training and endorsements for the airplane multi-engine land (AMEL) rating add-on.
How long is the MEI checkride?
The oral and flight portions typically take about 4 to 6 hours combined.
Start your MEI prep with the examiner in your corner
Study the multi-engine instructor material the way it’s actually tested — built by an FAA DPE, mapped to FAA-S-ACS-25, and backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.