What are the three class ratings for a flight engineer certificate?

Under 14 CFR Part 63, a flight engineer certificate may be issued with a reciprocating, turboprop, or turbojet class rating. Each rating corresponds to the type of powerplant on the aircraft and must be earned through a separate FAA written knowledge test and practical test. Holding one class rating does not grant authority to serve as flight engineer on an aircraft in a different class.

Do I need a commercial pilot certificate to get a flight engineer certificate?

No single credential is mandatory. 14 CFR § 63.37 provides seven alternative aeronautical-experience routes, and you qualify by completing any ONE of them: (1) a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating plus 5 hours of FE flight training; (2) 3 years of diversified aircraft-maintenance experience, including 1 year on multiengine aircraft rated at least 800 hp each, plus 5 hours of FE flight training; (3) an aeronautical, electrical, or mechanical engineering degree plus 6 months of multiengine maintenance; (4) graduation from a 2-year FAA-approved aeronautical-maintenance course; (5) 200 hours of transport-category (or military-equivalent) PIC/SIC time; (6) 100 hours as a flight engineer; or (7) an FAA-approved flight engineer ground-and-flight course completed within the prior 90 days. In every case you must also be at least 21, hold a second-class medical (§ 63.31), and pass the written and practical tests.

Does a turbojet flight engineer class rating allow me to work on turboprop aircraft?

No. The turbojet and turboprop ratings are completely separate class ratings under 14 CFR Part 63. A flight engineer must hold the specific class rating that matches the powerplant type of the aircraft being flown. To add a turboprop rating, the turbojet-rated flight engineer must pass the turboprop knowledge test and a separate practical test demonstrating competency on turboprop aircraft systems.

Flight Engineer Class Ratings: Reciprocating, Turboprop, and Turbojet

When the FAA issues a flight engineer certificate, it does not grant blanket authority to serve as a flight engineer on any multi-engine transport aircraft. Instead, the certificate carries one or more class ratings that limit the holder to aircraft powered by a specific category of powerplant. Understanding those class ratings—reciprocating, turboprop, and turbojet—is fundamental to anyone pursuing Flight Engineer (FE) certification under 14 CFR Part 63, and it remains a frequently tested topic on the FAA Flight Engineer written examinations.

This article walks through the regulatory basis for each class rating, the eligibility and knowledge requirements associated with them, and the practical significance of operating under the correct rating in an airline or charter environment.

Regulatory Foundation: 14 CFR Part 63

Part 63 governs the certification of flight crewmembers other than pilots—chiefly flight engineers and flight navigators. Subpart B (sections 63.31 through 63.67) is devoted entirely to flight engineer certificates. Within that subpart, 14 CFR §63.31 establishes the eligibility requirements and introduces the concept of class ratings. The regulation specifies that each flight engineer certificate will bear a class rating corresponding to the type of powerplant on the aircraft for which the applicant has demonstrated competency. The three possible ratings are:

Reciprocating — covering aircraft powered by piston (reciprocating) engines
Turboprop — covering aircraft powered by turbine engines that drive a propeller
Turbojet — covering aircraft powered by pure jet (turbojet or turbofan) engines

A certificate holder may earn more than one class rating. Each rating must be obtained through a separate written test and practical test (or the approved alternative) specific to that powerplant class. Holding a turbojet rating, for example, does not automatically confer authority to serve as FE on a turboprop transport, and vice versa.

How the Class Rating System Works

Reciprocating Class

The reciprocating class rating applies to large, certificated aircraft driven by piston engines—think of the classic four-engine transports such as the Douglas DC-7 or Lockheed Constellation that dominated airline fleets in the 1940s and 1950s. Although these aircraft are largely retired from scheduled service, the rating remains available under Part 63. The systems knowledge required for a reciprocating FE rating emphasizes carburetion or fuel injection, magneto ignition systems, supercharging, propeller feathering, and the complex cooling considerations inherent to high-power piston engines. Fuel management is particularly demanding because many large piston transports have elaborate cross-feed and transfer systems across multiple tanks and engines.

Turboprop Class

The turboprop rating covers aircraft such as the Lockheed L-188 Electra or certain cargo variants of turboprop transports that require a certificated flight engineer. Turboprop powerplant systems blend gas-turbine thermodynamics with propeller mechanics, so the flight engineer must understand free-turbine versus fixed-shaft engine designs, propeller governing, beta range (ground fine/reverse) operation, and torque/temperature limiting. Because turboprop engines produce thrust both from jet exhaust and from the propeller, their performance charts and fuel-flow management differ significantly from either pure reciprocating or turbojet powerplants.

Turbojet Class

The turbojet (and turbofan) class rating is by far the most commonly sought rating in the current aviation environment. It applies to transport-category jets such as the Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8, and older three- and four-engine widebodies that originally required a three-person cockpit crew. A turbojet FE must be fluent in gas-turbine thermodynamics, compressor stall recognition and recovery, engine pressure ratio (EPR) or N1 thrust management, bleed air systems, auto-throttle integration, and high-altitude fuel planning. The FE on a turbojet transport is often the crew member responsible for computing takeoff performance data, managing center-of-gravity shifts during fuel burn, and monitoring engine trend data for early fault detection.

Eligibility Requirements Under §63.31 and §63.33

To be eligible for any flight engineer class rating, an applicant must meet the following baseline requirements drawn from Part 63:

Be at least 21 years of age
Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language
Hold at least a second-class medical certificate, issued within the preceding 12 months (§ 63.31)
Satisfy one of the seven aeronautical-experience routes of § 63.37 (e.g. commercial certificate + instrument rating + 5 hrs FE training; 200 hrs transport-category PIC/SIC; 100 hrs as an FE; or 3 yrs diversified maintenance)
Pass the applicable written knowledge test for the specific class rating sought
Pass a practical test demonstrating competency in flight engineer duties for that class

The written tests differ by class. The FAA offers separate airman knowledge tests for the FE Reciprocating, FE Turboprop, and FE Turbojet (Jet) ratings. Each exam covers systems, performance, and emergency procedures specific to that powerplant type. An applicant who already holds one class rating and seeks an additional rating must pass the knowledge and practical tests for the new class—there is no automatic credit for prior FE experience in a different class.

Practical Test Standards and Powerplant-Specific Competencies

The practical test for each class rating is administered by an FAA inspector or designated flight engineer examiner. The applicant must demonstrate proficiency on either the actual aircraft type or an approved flight training device. During the practical test, the examiner will evaluate:

Normal and abnormal powerplant management appropriate to the class
Systems knowledge and emergency procedures (fire, engine failure, pressurization loss, electrical emergencies)
Fuel management and weight-and-balance calculations
Performance planning and reading of the Airplane Flight Manual applicable to that aircraft
Crew coordination and communication as the third crew member

Because the practical test is tied to a specific aircraft, many candidates also receive a type rating for that aircraft on their pilot certificate simultaneously—though the FE certificate class rating and the pilot type rating are legally separate credentials governed by different subparts of the FARs.

Why Class Ratings Matter Operationally

Under 14 CFR §121.383 and related Part 121 provisions, an air carrier may not use a person as a flight engineer unless that person holds a flight engineer certificate with the appropriate class rating for the aircraft being flown. This is not merely a paperwork formality. The systems on a turboprop transport differ so substantially from those on a turbojet that cross-qualification without proper training and testing would represent a genuine safety hazard. Regulatory enforcement has historically treated operating without the correct class rating the same as operating without any FE certificate at all.

For certificate holders seeking to add a class rating later in their careers—for example, a reciprocating-rated FE who transitions to a turboprop freighter—the process mirrors the original certification: pass the knowledge test, complete the required training or experience, and pass the practical test for the new class. There is no grandfathering provision that allows the holder of one class to operate under a different class without completing those steps.

Key Numbers and Rules

Minimum age: 21 years (§63.31)
Medical requirement: second-class or higher, within 12 months — codified in § 63.31 (medical is NOT in § 63.35; § 63.35 is the knowledge test)
§ 63.37 experience: satisfy any one of seven routes — e.g. 200 hrs transport-category PIC/SIC time (not "in an approved course"), 100 hrs as an FE, or 3 yrs diversified maintenance
Three class ratings available: Reciprocating, Turboprop, Turbojet
Each class rating requires a separate written test and practical test
No automatic upgrade between class ratings—each must be earned independently
FE certificate with correct class rating required by Part 121 operations using a flight engineer position

Common Test Traps

Confusing class with type: The FE class rating (reciprocating/turboprop/turbojet) is separate from a pilot type rating. Students often conflate these two credentials on exam questions.
Assuming turbojet covers turboprop: A turbojet class rating does NOT authorize flight engineer duties on a turboprop aircraft. They are distinct classes with distinct written and practical tests.
Medical certificate level: Some students remember the third-class medical for private pilot operations and incorrectly apply it here. Flight engineers require at least a second-class medical.
Age requirement: The minimum age for an FE certificate is 21, the same as an ATP—not 18 like a commercial pilot certificate. This trips up many exam takers.
Automatic credit myth: Holding one FE class rating does not grant partial credit or a reduced test burden for a second class rating. Both the knowledge test and practical test must be completed in full for each additional class.