N311EF is the Piper Seminole PA-44-180 at You Fly LA, the only twin on our ramp, and it flies at $649 per hour wet at retail or $449 per hour wet inside a course package. It is a four-seat, low-wing twin with two 180-horsepower counter-rotating engines, a Garmin 430 and a cruise of about 162 knots.
This page is the record for that airframe — rates, the work it does, what flying it requires and how to book it. The whole fleet with rates side by side is on the airplanes you will fly, and the type reference covering systems, V-speeds and Vmc is the Piper Seminole page.
N311EF At A Glance
| Item | N311EF |
|---|---|
| Registration | N311EF |
| Type | Piper Seminole PA-44-180 |
| Seats | Four |
| Wing | Low wing |
| Engines | Two, 180 hp each, counter-rotating |
| Typical cruise | About 162 knots |
| Avionics | Garmin 430 |
| Fleet position | The only multi-engine airplane at You Fly LA |
| Based at | Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), 7900 Balboa Blvd |
| Normally flown for | Multi-engine rating, MEI, time building, multi-engine discovery flights |
| Retail rate | $649 per hour, wet |
| Package rate | $449 per hour, wet |
Those are the type-level numbers we operate to. Empty weight, useful load and the installed equipment list belong to this individual airframe and live in the weight and balance section of the handbook carried aboard. On a light twin, single-engine climb performance is the figure that decides what the airplane can actually do on a hot day, and it comes from the performance section for the specific aircraft rather than from any published summary.
What It Costs To Fly N311EF
| Item | Rate | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| N311EF, package rate | $449 per hour, wet | Hours flown inside a fixed-price course |
| N311EF, retail rate | $649 per hour, wet | Pay-as-you-go hours and time building |
| Multi-Engine rating course | $5,100, fixed | Seven-day accelerated course, start to checkride |
| Flight instructor | $110 per hour | Any dual flight, aircraft or simulator |
| Redbird MCX full-motion simulator | $120 package, $200 retail | Multi-engine profiles, including engine-out work |
Both aircraft rates are wet. The rating is sold as a fixed $5,100 rather than by the hour because a multi-engine add-on has no hour minimum in the regulations, which makes an open meter a poor deal for the pilot and a poor promise from the school. Every rate we charge is published on flight school rates at Van Nuys.
What N311EF Is Flown For
The multi-engine rating, the multi-engine instructor rating, twin time building for pilots heading toward the airlines, and multi-engine discovery flights for people who want to see what two engines feel like. It is the most expensive airplane on our line alongside the Cirrus, and the one with the most concentrated purpose.
The Seven-Day Multi-Engine Rating
Adding a multi-engine class rating to a certificate you already hold is governed by 14 CFR 61.63(c), and the striking thing about that paragraph is what it does not contain. There is no hour requirement. What it requires is a logbook or training record endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you are competent in the aeronautical knowledge areas and proficient in the areas of operation for the class rating sought, and then a passing practical test. No additional knowledge test is needed if you already hold an airplane category rating.
That is why an accelerated course works here. Ours runs seven days for a fixed $5,100 and covers 8 hours in the Seminole, 2 hours in the Redbird MCX full-motion simulator, 10 hours of dual and 2 hours of ground instruction. Classes start on Mondays and the checkride is scheduled for the same weekend, which is possible only because the work is continuous — engine-out procedures learned on Tuesday are still fresh on Friday in a way they never are when the training is spread over two months.
The core of it is asymmetric flight: identifying a failed engine, verifying, feathering, and holding the airplane straight with rudder while you decide whether to continue or land. Counter-rotating propellers mean the Seminole has no critical engine in the conventional sense, which makes it a fairer teacher than a twin that does, and the full-motion simulator lets the first engine failures happen where nothing is at stake. The rating itself is covered on the multi-engine rating page, and the accelerated week in detail on accelerated multi-engine rating.
Time Building And Flying It After The Rating
Multi-engine time is the currency of an airline application, and twins are scarce and expensive everywhere. At $649 per hour wet at retail, N311EF is available for time building once you hold the rating and have completed our checkout, and it is a genuinely useful cross-country airplane at about 162 knots with four seats. Pilots splitting hours with a safety pilot should read multi-engine time building at Van Nuys before they book, because how the time is logged matters as much as how it is flown.
Checking Out To Fly N311EF
You need a multi-engine class rating on your pilot certificate before you can act as pilot in command of this airplane at all. Beyond that, a current FAA medical certificate or BasicMed qualification, a flight review completed since the beginning of the 24th calendar month before the month of the flight under 14 CFR 61.56, and, to carry passengers, three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days in the same category, class and type under 14 CFR 61.57(a) — to a full stop at night.
Our own checkout in a twin is longer than in a single and insurance requirements are stricter. Expect ground instruction on the systems, a flight covering engine-out work, and a discussion about recency before the sign-off. The general requirement is on aircraft checkout requirements for renters.
How To Book N311EF
Call (818) 330-1318 and ask for N311EF by registration. Accelerated courses take the airplane for a week at a time, so time-building blocks and discovery flights are fitted around them and need notice. If you want the rating, ask which Monday is open rather than which day is free.
If you simply want to fly a twin once, the multi-engine discovery flight is $499 for two people, one flying and one riding, for 60 minutes, with an extra passenger at $100 more. Details are on the multi-engine discovery flight page.
Where The Registration Details Come From
We publish the specification we operate to and the rates we charge. The registration record — registered make and model, registrant, airworthiness class, certificate issue and expiry — is the FAA's and is public. Check the FAA aircraft registry entry for N311EF, or search any N-number at registry.faa.gov. The registry is the source of record.
Related Reading
- The airplanes you will fly lists every aircraft with package and retail rates.
- Piper Seminole PA-44-180 is the type reference, with Vmc and systems detail.
- Multi-engine rating covers the $5,100 seven-day course.
- Multi-engine time building explains how twin hours are logged and priced.
- Multi-engine discovery flight is the $499 flight for two in this airplane.
- Aircraft checkout requirements for renters lists what flying it solo needs.
N311EF FAQ
What Kind Of Airplane Is N311EF?
A Piper Seminole PA-44-180: a four-seat light twin with two 180-horsepower counter-rotating engines, a Garmin 430 and a cruise of about 162 knots. It is the only multi-engine airplane at You Fly LA.
How Much Does N311EF Cost Per Hour?
$449 per hour wet inside a course package and $649 per hour wet at retail. An instructor is $110 per hour on top, and the full-motion simulator, which runs multi-engine profiles, is $120 per hour inside a package.
How Many Hours Does A Multi-Engine Rating Require?
14 CFR 61.63(c) sets no hour minimum for adding a class rating. It requires an instructor endorsement certifying competence and proficiency, and a passing practical test. Our course budgets 8 hours in the Seminole and 2 in the simulator, which is what most pilots need.
Can The Rating Really Be Done In A Week?
Yes, and the concentration is the reason it works. Classes start on Mondays with the checkride scheduled for the same weekend, because engine-out procedures stay sharp when the training is continuous rather than spread over two months.
Does The Seminole Have A Critical Engine?
Not in the conventional sense. The propellers counter-rotate, so the asymmetric yaw is the same whichever engine fails, which makes the airplane a fairer place to learn engine-out handling than a twin with a critical engine.
Can I Build Multi-Engine Time In It?
Yes, once you hold the rating and have completed our checkout. The retail rate is $649 per hour wet, and how the time is logged with a safety pilot is worth reading up on before you book.
Can I Fly In It Without A Multi-Engine Rating?
Only with an instructor. The multi-engine discovery flight is $499 for two people over 60 minutes, one flying and one riding, with an extra passenger at $100 more.
Fly N311EF From Van Nuys
If the multi-engine rating is next on your list, the fixed price is $5,100 and the week starts on a Monday. Book a free consultation and we will find you a date and check what your logbook still needs. If you just want to feel two engines from the left seat, the multi-engine discovery flight is $499 for two. Call (818) 330-1318. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open 9 AM to 9 PM seven days a week.