The cheapest multi-engine time building is not necessarily the lowest advertised hourly rate. Compare the total cost of usable, correctly logged experience: aircraft rental, required instruction, checkout, fuel policy, insurance, scheduling restrictions, and travel. A low price is not helpful if the airplane or an instructor is unavailable when you can train.
Planning multi-engine flying at Chino?
DuBois Aviation’s multi-engine instructor rate is $80/hour. Aircraft rental and other applicable charges are additional. We are not advertising a guaranteed solo rental, shared-PIC package, or fixed time-building block here; those options depend on your qualifications, insurance, and current aircraft availability.
Two practical options worth comparing
These are specific products pilots commonly compare for this type of flying. Confirm compatibility with your aircraft and instructor before ordering.
See the complete pilot gear guide
Ask about a multi-engine plan or view the current fleet and aircraft rates. For an immediate availability question, call 909-597-6292.
Compare a complete quote, not just the hourly number
| Cost or restriction | What to ask before paying |
|---|---|
| Aircraft rental | Is the rate wet or dry? Which fuel charges, taxes, or surcharges are additional? |
| Checkout and instruction | What proficiency checks and instructor time are required? Are ground briefings billed separately? |
| Block purchase | Are unused funds refundable? Is there an expiration date or minimum scheduling requirement? |
| Insurance | Does the proposed operation meet the operator’s and insurer’s requirements for both pilots? |
| Availability | What happens if maintenance or weather interrupts the plan? Are substitute aircraft available? |
| Trip costs | Are travel, lodging, landing fees, repositioning, or overnight minimums involved? |
Use a simple total-cost worksheet
Estimated total = aircraft rate x billable aircraft hours + instructor rate x billable instruction hours + required fees and travel. Divide that total by the experience you can actually and legally log for your goal. The billable time and loggable time may not be identical.
For example, ten billed hours of multi-engine instruction at our current instructor rate amount to ten times $80, before aircraft rental or other charges. That is an instruction-only illustration, not a ten-hour course quote. Ask for a written estimate based on your logbook and planned schedule.
Decide whether you need a rating, proficiency, or time
An initial multi-engine add-on, a return-to-flying checkout, and experience building are different projects. If you have not earned the appropriate rating, start with a training plan. If you already hold it, discuss recent experience, aircraft familiarity, and your goal before selecting flights.
Career pilots should check the actual experience requirements for the certificate, employer, or program they are pursuing. A headline target from another pilot’s hiring story may not apply to you. Our career-training pathway can help organize how ratings and experience fit together, without promising an airline job.
Do not assume both pilots can log the whole flight
Sharing an aircraft bill does not automatically create loggable PIC time for both occupants. Acting as PIC, logging PIC, serving as a required safety pilot, logging cross-country time, and sharing expenses are separate questions. Review the proposed operation with a qualified instructor before agreeing to a plan.
Start with the official rules: 14 CFR 61.51, pilot logbooks, 91.109, simulated instrument flight, and, where relevant, 61.113, private-pilot privileges and limitations. A published time-building article is not a legal opinion on your specific arrangement.
Make each flight useful
Brief a purpose: aircraft systems, checklist discipline, navigation, instrument procedures, or workload management. Review the result afterward. Engine-out training and emergency simulations belong in a carefully briefed instructional environment following the aircraft’s procedures, not in improvised experiments during a rental flight.
Simulator practice can prepare procedures, but it does not simply become multi-engine airplane flight time. Keep the categories and any permitted training credit clear in your records.
What to send us for an accurate estimate
- Your certificates and ratings, total time, multi-engine time, and recent flying experience.
- The aircraft you have flown and the goal you are trying to meet.
- Your preferred dates and whether you can train on weekdays.
- Whether you need an add-on rating, a checkout, instruction, or an availability discussion for experience building.
Request a multi-engine estimate from DuBois Aviation. The team will confirm what is available before you commit funds.
Plan multi-engine training around proficiency
The lowest hourly price is not always the lowest total cost
Efficient multi-engine training depends on preparation, aircraft availability, instructor continuity, and how quickly the student becomes proficient in normal and engine-inoperative procedures. The FAA's multiengine guidance emphasizes directional control, VMC awareness, single-engine performance, and sound risk management.
At DuBois Aviation, the Piper Apache is currently listed at $310 per hour wet or $300 per hour at the qualifying block rate, with multi-engine instruction at $80 per hour. Confirm current availability and rates before scheduling.
Source: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, multiengine transition. Reviewed August 17, 2026.
