Originally Posted by
CEFO
So as a proffessional pilot giving advice to fellow aviators who are looking to progress in aviation you would say the cadet program would be a wise career move?
Define 'progress in aviation'? If you plan on staying at CX it's an option. If you plan on coming back to the U.S. it's a bad idea. If you hope to move to other carriers it's a bad idea since you'll be stuck there for at least 6-7 yrs (4 yrs SO and then time to build your FO time).
Would it be my first choice? No. Second choice? No. But if it's one of the few choices, or only choice, I'm not going to pretend some kid should choose McDonald's over CX. Reading a post yesterday about a guy that waited 6 yrs to get his first job. SO would have been a better deal.
Yes, flying, especially when you're new at it, is important. When you're 50 yrs old with 10,000 hrs being FB(relief pilot) on a random basis is no big deal.