What are the minimum flight hours required for a Flight Engineer certificate?

There is no 1,500-hour requirement for a Flight Engineer certificate — that figure (1,500 total with 500 cross-country, 100 night, 75 instrument) is ATP aeronautical experience under 14 CFR § 61.159, a different certificate. Under § 63.37, experience is met by any ONE of seven routes. The pilot routes are modest: a commercial certificate with an instrument rating plus 5 hours of FE flight training, or 200 hours of flight time in a transport-category airplane (or military equivalent) as PIC/SIC. The non-pilot routes include 3 years of diversified maintenance (1 year on multiengine ≥ 800 hp), an engineering degree plus 6 months of multiengine maintenance, a 2-year FAA-approved maintenance course, 100 hours as a flight engineer, or an FAA-approved FE course completed within the prior 90 days.

What medical certificate do you need to get a Flight Engineer certificate?

14 CFR § 63.31 requires applicants to hold at least a second-class medical certificate issued under 14 CFR Part 67. A first-class medical is not required by the regulation for the certificate itself, although individual airline operators under Parts 121 or 135 may impose higher medical standards for line duty.

How long is the Flight Engineer written test valid before I have to take the practical test?

The FAA Flight Engineer knowledge test is valid for 24 calendar months. If you do not complete the practical test within 24 calendar months of passing the written test, you must retake and pass the knowledge test again before the practical test can be administered, per 14 CFR § 63.33.

Flight Engineer Certificate Eligibility and Aeronautical Experience Requirements

The Flight Engineer (FE) certificate is a federally issued airman certificate that authorizes the holder to serve as a flight engineer on aircraft type-certificated for a flight engineer crewmember. Although modern glass-cockpit aircraft have largely eliminated the traditional three-person cockpit crew, the certificate remains an active regulatory requirement for certain transport-category aircraft still in commercial service. Understanding the eligibility and aeronautical experience requirements of 14 CFR Part 63, Subpart B is essential for any candidate pursuing this certificate and is a tested knowledge area on the FAA Flight Engineer written examination.

This article walks through each eligibility criterion in plain language, explains the reasoning behind the requirements, highlights the specific aeronautical experience pathways available, and flags the common misunderstandings that trip up exam candidates.

Eligibility Requirements

Before an applicant may take a flight engineer knowledge test or practical test, they must satisfy a baseline set of eligibility criteria. These criteria are defined in 14 CFR § 63.31 and exist to ensure every flight engineer candidate has a foundational level of maturity, physical fitness, and flight background before entering the three-person cockpit environment.

Age: The applicant must be at least 21 years of age. This mirrors the minimum age for an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate and reflects the responsibility of serving on a transport-category flight deck.
Language: The applicant must be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. If a physical condition prevents speaking or understanding English, the FAA may place an operating limitation on the certificate accordingly.
Knowledge & experience: The applicant must meet the knowledge-test requirements of § 63.35 and satisfy one of the aeronautical-experience routes of § 63.37 (both covered below).
Medical certificate: The applicant must hold at least a second-class medical certificate issued within the preceding 12 months (under 14 CFR Part 67). Age and medical are both codified in § 63.31. A first-class certificate is not required for the flight engineer certificate itself, though an operator may impose a higher standard for line operations.
Knowledge test: The applicant must have passed the appropriate FAA flight engineer written (knowledge) test within the preceding 24 calendar months.
Practical test: The applicant must pass the flight engineer practical test given by an FAA inspector or designated examiner.

Aeronautical Experience Requirements

The aeronautical experience requirements are found in 14 CFR § 63.37, which is a multi-route regulation: an applicant qualifies by satisfying any one of seven distinct pathways. These routes let candidates from very different backgrounds — maintenance technicians, engineers, pilots, and current or former flight engineers — each demonstrate equivalent competence.

Important: § 63.37 does not impose a 1,500-hour pilot flight-time table. That figure — 1,500 total hours with 500 cross-country, 100 night, and 75 instrument — is the aeronautical-experience requirement for the Airline Transport Pilot certificate under 14 CFR § 61.159, an entirely separate certificate. Do not apply it to the flight engineer certificate.

The seven qualifying routes — satisfy any one

Maintenance route: At least 3 years of diversified practical experience maintaining aircraft and aircraft engines, including at least 1 year maintaining multiengine aircraft with engines rated at least 800 horsepower each (or turbine equivalent), plus at least 5 hours of flight training in flight engineer duties.
Specialized-training route: Graduation from an FAA-approved specialized aeronautical-maintenance course of at least 2 years, plus 5 hours of FE flight training.
Engineering-degree route: A degree in aeronautical, electrical, or mechanical engineering from a recognized university, plus at least 6 calendar months of practical experience maintaining multiengine aircraft (engines rated at least 800 hp each or turbine equivalent).
Commercial-pilot route: At least a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating, plus 5 hours of flight training in the duties of a flight engineer.
Transport / military-pilot route: At least 200 hours of flight time in a transport-category airplane (or a military multiengine aircraft of comparable weight and horsepower) as pilot in command, or as second in command performing the functions of a PIC under the supervision of a PIC.
Existing-flight-engineer route: At least 100 hours of flight time as a flight engineer.
Approved-course route: Successful completion of an FAA-approved flight engineer ground and flight course within the 90-day period before applying.

Whichever route an applicant uses, they must still meet the § 63.31 eligibility criteria and pass both the § 63.35 knowledge test and the practical test. The breadth of routes reflects the FE role's dual demand — deep systems knowledge on one side (maintenance, engineering) and flight-deck experience on the other (pilots, current flight engineers).

Why These Requirements Matter

The flight engineer occupies the third seat on the flight deck and is responsible for monitoring, managing, and troubleshooting complex aircraft systems in real time, often under workload-intensive conditions. On aircraft like the Boeing 727 or older 747-100/200 variants, the FE manages fuel burn sequencing, pressurization schedules, engine trend monitoring, hydraulic system states, and electrical bus configurations — tasks that demand both systems depth and situational awareness.

The experience requirements reflect that dual demand. Pilots bring situational awareness and understanding of flight dynamics; mechanics bring systems knowledge; military candidates bring experience in large, complex, crew-operated aircraft. Any of these backgrounds, when supplemented by the required knowledge test and practical test, produces an individual qualified to serve safely in the FE role.

From a safety standpoint, the FAA's layered requirements — age, medical, experience, written test, practical test — mirror the layered qualification framework used for other airman certificates. No single criterion is sufficient on its own; the combination creates a well-rounded, verifiable standard of competence.

Key Numbers and Rules

Minimum age: 21 years (§ 63.31)
Minimum medical: at least second-class, issued within the preceding 12 months (§ 63.31)
§ 63.35 governs the knowledge (written) test; § 63.37 governs aeronautical experience
§ 63.37 is a seven-route reg — satisfy any one, not all
Maintenance route: 3 years (incl. 1 year on multiengine ≥ 800 hp/turbine) + 5 hrs FE flight training
Engineering-degree route: degree + 6 months multiengine maintenance
Commercial-pilot route: commercial certificate + instrument rating + 5 hrs FE flight training
Transport / military-pilot route: 200 hours transport-category (or military-equivalent) PIC/SIC time
Existing-FE route: 100 hours as a flight engineer
Approved-course route: FAA-approved FE course within 90 days of applying
There is no 1,500-hour pilot requirement — that belongs to the ATP under § 61.159
The certificate is issued for a specific class: reciprocating-, turbopropeller-, or turbojet-powered

Common Test Traps

Confusing § 63.37 with the ATP: The FE certificate has no 1,500-hour pilot flight-time requirement. The 1,500 hours — with 500 cross-country, 100 night, and 75 instrument — is ATP experience under § 61.159, a different certificate. § 63.37 is met by any one of seven routes, several requiring only maintenance/engineering background or as little as 100–200 hours in the right context.
Assuming you must meet every route: § 63.37 lists alternatives. You satisfy the experience requirement with one route — e.g., a commercial certificate with an instrument rating plus 5 hours of FE flight training.
Mixing up § 63.31, § 63.35, and § 63.37: § 63.31 = eligibility (age 21, second-class medical within 12 months); § 63.35 = the knowledge (written) test; § 63.37 = aeronautical experience. Medical lives in § 63.31, not § 63.35.
Confusing the FE medical with a first-class: The certificate requires only a second-class medical (§ 63.31). A first-class may be a company standard under Part 121, but it is not a certification requirement.
Overlooking class specificity: The FE certificate is issued for a specific class — reciprocating, turbopropeller, or turbojet. Serving on an aircraft outside that class requires a separate class rating.