Is the MEI worth anything to the Majors?
03-09-2017, 04:19 AM
#41
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2016
Posts: 2,559
Oh, it did happen. Quite a bit I suspect. In the past 6 months alone, I have flown with at least 8 or 9 CAs who started with the magical 250. And they were all great pilots, not saying there was anything wrong with 250 as an FO. 250 was just a tiny little stepping stone, and many took advantage of it when they could.
03-09-2017, 08:47 AM
#42
MK Ultra Candidate
Joined APC: Feb 2013
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03-09-2017, 10:51 AM
#43
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Joined APC: Jul 2013
Posts: 10,533
03-09-2017, 11:00 AM
#44
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 40,091
It may score a few points on airlineapps.... The more boxes checked, the better. That said, if you do choose to acquire an MEI add-on, why not obtain it out of the interest of bettering yourself and augmenting your knowledge? If you want it just for a major, you are better off doing something else to enhance your credentials.
If you get hired at a major 6 months sooner, and you retire at $300K/year, it would be worth some change down the road. But for a lot of people, they need $5K today more than they think they need $100K in 30 years.
03-09-2017, 11:55 AM
#45
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Joined APC: Jul 2013
Posts: 10,533
It's another box to check, so will move your resume up the stack just a bit. If you're already in the GA/CFI mode, it's an easy ticket to acquire.
If you get hired at a major 6 months sooner, and you retire at $300K/year, it would be worth some change down the road. But for a lot of people, they need $5K today more than they think they need $100K in 30 years.
If you get hired at a major 6 months sooner, and you retire at $300K/year, it would be worth some change down the road. But for a lot of people, they need $5K today more than they think they need $100K in 30 years.
03-09-2017, 10:04 PM
#47
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You don't hide who you are? Huh?
03-09-2017, 10:30 PM
#48
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Joined APC: Nov 2011
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Posts: 4,024
If there's one thing that will teach you excellent decisionmaking and CRM skills, it's earning your MEI and then going out and using it. I have north of 6000 hours of piston dual given, about 1000 of that is multi dual given. In a single-engine airplane it's nearly impossible for a student to actually kill you. In a twin, the opportunities are far more plentiful.
Also, if you give enough multi dual, you won't need to splash out all kinds of cash on upset training. One of your students, sooner or later, will provide upset training just when you least expect it. It's amazing what happens in a B55 Baron when your student, at the worst possible time in a VMC demo, suddenly stomps the wrong rudder, rolls in opposite aileron, and slams the yoke to its aft stop. Who knew the ol' Beech could go inverted that fast?
If you can survive enough of that, Part 121 training will seem incredibly easy.
Also, if you give enough multi dual, you won't need to splash out all kinds of cash on upset training. One of your students, sooner or later, will provide upset training just when you least expect it. It's amazing what happens in a B55 Baron when your student, at the worst possible time in a VMC demo, suddenly stomps the wrong rudder, rolls in opposite aileron, and slams the yoke to its aft stop. Who knew the ol' Beech could go inverted that fast?
If you can survive enough of that, Part 121 training will seem incredibly easy.
But these are reasons why MEIs are good to have. This can be extended to a lot of things though. MEI isn't exactly "necessary". I've see lots of people who can or attempt to mechanically fly lazy 8s, but not many who really understand the maneuver and can do it, and even less that can break it down into it's elements and pieces and effectively teach it. That's more about your understanding of flying and maneuvers, which doesn't require an MEI. Getting underneath everything and understanding why it works and what is really happening is critical for this IME. As with anything in aviation, it's really what you make of it. You can "get away" with landing a tricycle gear pretty crappy and tie the plane down every night, or you can do it the right way and have an instructor that knows and understands this. Then, when you transition to tailwheel, it's not that big of a deal. But, if you kind of just "got by" all the time, never really had it beaten into you how to land straight and continue maintaining control under all circumstances, you are a ripe candidate for a ground-loop. You don't "need" to learn in a tailwheel to learn good rudder and stick skills, it's just that they happen to be less forgiving. It's always what you make of it.
03-10-2017, 12:45 AM
#49
Banned
Joined APC: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,275
You only get the ratings you need to make money! Seaplane rating and tail wheel endorsement would be fun but I have no use for it. To better ones self? Sure, while your at it, go buy a pair of goggles, a scarf, and hang out with Harrison Ford. This isn't the GA world of wild emotions, crazy dreams, and doing extra curricular activities to be a "super pilot". Its about passing your next medical, passing your next line check, passing your next recurrent, and ensuring you have a pay check to survive until your kids are on their own, the house is paid off, and that you can actually retire without being in poverty.
I have my MEI, actually used it to make money, and at the time was viewed as a requirement. Completely useless rating now for my needs.
I have my MEI, actually used it to make money, and at the time was viewed as a requirement. Completely useless rating now for my needs.
03-10-2017, 01:26 PM
#50
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Joined APC: Mar 2013
Posts: 539
I don't know, if you are ever letting someone go that far with a Vmc demo, IMO you've taught it wrong. I'd always let them take it to what happens first (stall or loss of heading). If they were taught how to do it right before-hand, the loss of control would never happen, and it never should happen because it's an ultra-dangerous situation to be in. I could see that happening more on checkrides maybe with someone you didn't train, but due to the danger of Vmc, I always made sure that was tightly controlled during training and the student was quick to put in inputs and maintain control. By doing this, it was far less dangerous. I've had lots of people after those days that are absolutely horrified to take the aircraft to the stall (if that's what occurs first), yet it was something we routinely did, with no heading loss. The bigger issues are people not realizing when they are rolling out bank and not realizing when the heading starts to slide, once the thing rolls level it can get away quick, but that goes back to the training thing.
But these are reasons why MEIs are good to have. This can be extended to a lot of things though. MEI isn't exactly "necessary". I've see lots of people who can or attempt to mechanically fly lazy 8s, but not many who really understand the maneuver and can do it, and even less that can break it down into it's elements and pieces and effectively teach it. That's more about your understanding of flying and maneuvers, which doesn't require an MEI. Getting underneath everything and understanding why it works and what is really happening is critical for this IME. As with anything in aviation, it's really what you make of it. You can "get away" with landing a tricycle gear pretty crappy and tie the plane down every night, or you can do it the right way and have an instructor that knows and understands this. Then, when you transition to tailwheel, it's not that big of a deal. But, if you kind of just "got by" all the time, never really had it beaten into you how to land straight and continue maintaining control under all circumstances, you are a ripe candidate for a ground-loop. You don't "need" to learn in a tailwheel to learn good rudder and stick skills, it's just that they happen to be less forgiving. It's always what you make of it.
But these are reasons why MEIs are good to have. This can be extended to a lot of things though. MEI isn't exactly "necessary". I've see lots of people who can or attempt to mechanically fly lazy 8s, but not many who really understand the maneuver and can do it, and even less that can break it down into it's elements and pieces and effectively teach it. That's more about your understanding of flying and maneuvers, which doesn't require an MEI. Getting underneath everything and understanding why it works and what is really happening is critical for this IME. As with anything in aviation, it's really what you make of it. You can "get away" with landing a tricycle gear pretty crappy and tie the plane down every night, or you can do it the right way and have an instructor that knows and understands this. Then, when you transition to tailwheel, it's not that big of a deal. But, if you kind of just "got by" all the time, never really had it beaten into you how to land straight and continue maintaining control under all circumstances, you are a ripe candidate for a ground-loop. You don't "need" to learn in a tailwheel to learn good rudder and stick skills, it's just that they happen to be less forgiving. It's always what you make of it.
What I truly cannot stand and Hate with a passion is lazy captains who only want to put 1000 TPIC in the book. They dont try to learn or even do what is right. Rather they want to thump there chest with 4 stripe authority, but dont have the goods to back it up. Not everyone is like that but there are far more of these clowns than there should be
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