Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Why is flying a multiengine aircraft a separate certification from the
basic license (if I understand correctly)? What is so different about
having more than one engine that justifies a separate certification?
Apart from a few procedures for the failure of an engine, isn't
everything else pretty much the same?

its not a hard add on. A few new procedures, and systems. The loss of
one engine on most twins drops performance by about 80%. Dealing with
the offset thrust of one good engine... Its mostly about learning
single engine operations.



Does this mean that it is not possible to study for an initial license
in a twin-engine plane?


I have seen people go this route. The bennifit is that when they have
their commercial with instrument privliges, they have 250 hours multi
time....however this nearly doubles the cost of your training.

I wouldnt reccomend it. Its hard enough to learn all the procedures in
a single non-complex airplane. Add prop adjustments, engine
syncronizing, and landing gear....its more than you need to deal with
while learning the basics. Not to mention you dont get to log most of
it as PIC anyway.