Originally Posted by
Lighteningspeed
Only negative feedbacks I have received regarding foreign airline training were from guys who went to Emirates and Cathay Pacific. One friend who went to Cathay Pacific said expat Brits who are instructing over there did eveything they could to wash out American pilots. Similar story from Emirates. I have not received any negative feedbacks regarding KAL training from my friends over there. If you want to fly for them don't go with the attitude you are better than they are because that will be transparent to them and obviously they will try to put you in your place. Who can blame them.
Okeee dokeee
Let's pick this one apart, shall we?
Skyone one wrote a very good post. He is a very experienced individual and knows what he is talking about. I also like to think that I do, but I'm not as "experienced" as Skyone
In regards to negative feedback from training at Cathay Pacific and Emirates, there is no denying that does occur. There are numerous reasons for it and it can vary significantly. Often times pilots new to expat flying or a new airline are not used to the culture of that airline. Even within the USA there are different cultures amongst the airlines. Some are very strict and some are very lax. This has a great affect on pilots when they move overseas. Both Cathay and Emirates operate training departments that expect a student to prepare him/herself to a much higher degree than most U.S. airlines. Many of the compaints I have seen come from guys who come over expecting to be taught everything without lifting the books themselves.
That's not to say that there aren't some douchbag instructors at either company, I'm certain there are. The great majority are good though and, in fact, are quite helpful to new joiners from the USA.
In regards to no negative feedback form your friends at KAL, that may be true, but I have received quite a lot from people who have joined in the last 2 years. One highly experienced expat pilot friend of mine who joined on the B777 told all his former co-workers not to try for KAL because the odds were they would fail training. Three out of four in his class failed. Another who left my present company stated that training is absolutely miserable.
KAL instructors and examiners don't play by normal rules. If they decide they don't like a guy the checkride result is already decided before it begins. That has been going on for over a decade that I know of. One person I know of who joined ten years ago was told to back his bags before he left on his checkride trip to Pusan and back. The result had already been decided.
KAL is certainly one of the best commuting contracts in the world, but it comes with it's problems. The biggest one on the B777 fleet is the rather large question of whether one will be successful in training and keep their job. Expat pilots are in the middle of a struggle between Korean pilots and management. That's not really an ideal situation to be in.
Typhoonpilot