The infamous Star Chamber was very, very real. I have a photocopy of the actual Star Chamber hit list with marks notating which poor sods were to be fired and end up being part of the '49ers.

Not exactly a high point in Cathay's history....

 

Yep, knew a guy who went there direct entry Freighter Captain, fired/asked to leave halfway thru training. Another who went as a second officer. Finished "ioe" handshake from check airman, you're good to go mate and all that.
A couple days later gets called in and told they will give him one more chance and has to do it again.

Star chamber failed him based on the comments on the line check papers he already passed. And it was total BS niggling little stuff.

 

The training is tough, and they are very particular. Their command failure rate is higher than industry average. That said, it's always been this way.

Typhoon, you are indeed talking rubbish.

There are plenty of American captains across all fleets, stemming from far before direct entry freighter captains.

 

It's a first hand story so how could it be rubbish? Just reiterating what the senior captain said to us.

There are plenty of American captains now, but there definitely were not back then.

 

A Brit chief pilot refusing an upgrade due to candidate not being British--I'm shocked, just shocked.

GF

 

We live in hope, GF

 

Anybody know what the typical schedules and average days off are on the 747 freighter side? See them flying a lot to the US..just wondering. Thanks in advance.

 

Not wanting to be misunderstood, I have to say that two of my best bosses in flying have been British. Also have many good friends from their ranks, so I wouldn't say it is British culture as much as Cathay culture.

 

I knew the victim of this particular star chamber assignation. It is very true and continues to this day.
CX is a toxic wasteland of broken dreams.

 

From what I am hearing, it's as bad as it's every been at CX. People are leaving en masse now not just because of the terrible terms and conditions, but more to save their health. The task is still there but less people to do it so it's a vicious cycle. Then there is a great chance of an accident due to all the cuts. I think they have FINALLY drawn the attention of the Civil Aviation Department.

CX approached Atlas a couple of years back to take the entire freighter operation but they said they could not. IF management was smart at Atlas, they'd get a contract and would have more flying than they would know what to do with. I am in no way condoning guys losing their jobs at CX but that may happen or sign a new deal, as has been done before, to keep your job, albeit on another fleet. I think CX will outsource the freighters to multiple airlines or just sell it off to UPS or FedEx who would kill to have it.

In 1982 Braniff sold the South America operation to Eastern and shut down, as did Eastern albeit 10 years later, quickly after that. In 1985 Pan Am sold the entire, and only profitable, Pacific operation to United for 500 million dollars. It was a drop in the bucket. Pan Am would be gone six years later. Honorable mention goes out to; Swissair, Eastern, again, and again it appears, TWA, ALL THE POST DEREGULATION CARRIERS, Lauda, LOTS OF BRITISH AIRLINES, and the list goes on.

The CX dream is over, it has been for the last few years but some still hung on for hope and change, remember that? Now more are realizing it's time to leave not time to win. The DFO is helping to help sink the titanic that was once a great airline. This is not the only time in history, as mentioned previously, that this has happened.

I think that CX will be gone in two or less years.