Cathay Pacific
05-13-2010, 07:34 AM
#21
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: Left Out
Posts: 188
With 500 hours total and already having instructor experience you might be a candidate for the expat instructor program (hired then seconded to ADL to instruct cadets with a CX seniority number for a set amount of time). If this is the route that CX offers then you will be given housing assistance in HKG as an SO. If this is a straight cadet entry pilot (SO) position then you will be living off your very small SO paycheck in the world's most, arguably, expensive city. If you are single then you can get a flop house sort of place with other SOs as a place to hang between trips and vacations around the world, but that life style can get old quickly.
Something to keep in mind as well is that SO time at CX is with a P2X rating. It is basically a rating concocted by CX with the help of HKCAD that will keep SOs at CX because the rating doesn't allow you to even log P2/SIC time in the jet. You can only log P2X time. Now, some airlines throughout the world might take the widebody time as SIC time if you log it that way. Remember too that your "flying" as an SO will consist of doing cruise paperwork and radio work while the captain or relief FO spins the heading bug.
Bottom line, if you wind up in HKG as a SO as a youngster without housing allowance, you can do your time as an SO take your upgrade to FO and then try and get a basing back in the US where your package will be identical to every other pilot in the same rank in the US. On the other hand, the HK Aircrew Officer Assoc (HKAOA), the in house union, are currently trying to up the package for cadet entry pilots. If that happens in the future then you are laughing as you have just gotten into CX in your low 20s and will be a widebody captain by 35 (historically speaking).
Go in with your eyes wide open
-400 FO
Something to keep in mind as well is that SO time at CX is with a P2X rating. It is basically a rating concocted by CX with the help of HKCAD that will keep SOs at CX because the rating doesn't allow you to even log P2/SIC time in the jet. You can only log P2X time. Now, some airlines throughout the world might take the widebody time as SIC time if you log it that way. Remember too that your "flying" as an SO will consist of doing cruise paperwork and radio work while the captain or relief FO spins the heading bug.
Bottom line, if you wind up in HKG as a SO as a youngster without housing allowance, you can do your time as an SO take your upgrade to FO and then try and get a basing back in the US where your package will be identical to every other pilot in the same rank in the US. On the other hand, the HK Aircrew Officer Assoc (HKAOA), the in house union, are currently trying to up the package for cadet entry pilots. If that happens in the future then you are laughing as you have just gotten into CX in your low 20s and will be a widebody captain by 35 (historically speaking).
Go in with your eyes wide open
-400 FO
05-13-2010, 07:51 AM
#22
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: 747
Posts: 731
Originally Posted by 4everFO
With 500 hours total and already having instructor experience you might be a candidate for the expat instructor program (hired then seconded to ADL to instruct cadets with a CX seniority number for a set amount of time). If this is the route that CX offers then you will be given housing assistance in HKG as an SO. If this is a straight cadet entry pilot (SO) position then you will be living off your very small SO paycheck in the world's most, arguably, expensive city. If you are single then you can get a flop house sort of place with other SOs as a place to hang between trips and vacations around the world, but that life style can get old quickly.
Something to keep in mind as well is that SO time at CX is with a P2X rating. It is basically a rating concocted by CX with the help of HKCAD that will keep SOs at CX because the rating doesn't allow you to even log P2/SIC time in the jet. You can only log P2X time. Now, some airlines throughout the world might take the widebody time as SIC time if you log it that way. Remember too that your "flying" as an SO will consist of doing cruise paperwork and radio work while the captain or relief FO spins the heading bug.
Bottom line, if you wind up in HKG as a SO as a youngster without housing allowance, you can do your time as an SO take your upgrade to FO and then try and get a basing back in the US where your package will be identical to every other pilot in the same rank in the US. On the other hand, the HK Aircrew Officer Assoc (HKAOA), the in house union, are currently trying to up the package for cadet entry pilots. If that happens in the future then you are laughing as you have just gotten into CX in your low 20s and will be a widebody captain by 35 (historically speaking).
Go in with your eyes wide open
-400 FO
Something to keep in mind as well is that SO time at CX is with a P2X rating. It is basically a rating concocted by CX with the help of HKCAD that will keep SOs at CX because the rating doesn't allow you to even log P2/SIC time in the jet. You can only log P2X time. Now, some airlines throughout the world might take the widebody time as SIC time if you log it that way. Remember too that your "flying" as an SO will consist of doing cruise paperwork and radio work while the captain or relief FO spins the heading bug.
Bottom line, if you wind up in HKG as a SO as a youngster without housing allowance, you can do your time as an SO take your upgrade to FO and then try and get a basing back in the US where your package will be identical to every other pilot in the same rank in the US. On the other hand, the HK Aircrew Officer Assoc (HKAOA), the in house union, are currently trying to up the package for cadet entry pilots. If that happens in the future then you are laughing as you have just gotten into CX in your low 20s and will be a widebody captain by 35 (historically speaking).
Go in with your eyes wide open
-400 FO
05-13-2010, 10:09 AM
#23
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: Left Out
Posts: 188
SO to Junior FO is almost 4 years and increasing everyday. Senior most SO was hired in the summer (August I think) of 2006. The company has just announced a updated plan to upgrade 42 SOs to FO by the end of the year. Old plan called for 0. SO it may come down a bit but plan on 4 years.
FO to CN is tougher to tell. I will say that the junior most passenger CN in HKG is just over 900 on the seniority list out of approx. 2450 total pilots. There are alot of freighter only CNs junior to that but there aren't going to be anymore freighter "out of seniority upgrades". I believe when we were going full tilt on the expansion side we were upgrading around 75-100 passenger CNs per year...none this year though.
all subject to change as soon as this message is posted.
FO
FO to CN is tougher to tell. I will say that the junior most passenger CN in HKG is just over 900 on the seniority list out of approx. 2450 total pilots. There are alot of freighter only CNs junior to that but there aren't going to be anymore freighter "out of seniority upgrades". I believe when we were going full tilt on the expansion side we were upgrading around 75-100 passenger CNs per year...none this year though.
all subject to change as soon as this message is posted.
FO
05-13-2010, 05:06 PM
#25
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Posts: 126
Definitely take the opportunity to interview and see if CX is a fit. I interviewed in Aug. 08 for a DESO and have been sitting in the hold file ever since. Little frustrating watching Cadet pilots continued to be hired while I'm waiting until 2012 for Direct Entry recruitment to start again. Probably won't even be a DESO program in 2012, and I don't blame them if they can find enough pilots to fill the cadet slots.
I hear rumors that the DESO poolies can be reassessed as DEFO's if they are competitive. So I guess thats something to look forward to.
I hear rumors that the DESO poolies can be reassessed as DEFO's if they are competitive. So I guess thats something to look forward to.
05-13-2010, 05:18 PM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,110
Originally Posted by 4everFO
There are alot of freighter only CNs junior to that but there aren't going to be anymore freighter "out of seniority upgrades".
FO
FO
What is it with guys saying commands were not in seniority order? Anyone in seniority order could have bid those positions. They chose not to for personal reasons, most likely being the fact that it was grossly underpaid and would result in a pay cut for most FO's. The only thing that has changed is that now we just have captains on one scale. That, theoretically should have more 'senior' guys bid the left seat. Wake up CX pilots. Upgrades have always been 'in order'. Most everyone though chose not to bid it. Guys with 1, 2, 3 yrs did.
05-15-2010, 04:03 PM
#29
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: B777 FO
Posts: 416
I think we will have to start hiring within a year as well. We are short on the NAM 744, especially relief. My last two crossings have been with SOs. They are working my arse off lately. I spoke to recruiting and they have not fully decided how they are going to handle the guys sitting on hired letters. They did say that they will have to come back to HKG for a new medical exam and possibly a short interview.
Hopefully it is all looking up.
Hopefully it is all looking up.
05-15-2010, 07:20 PM
#30
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jun 2008
Posts: 45
Originally Posted by FlyPurdue
Hi All,
I am new to this forum. I will be graduating from Purdue University in December of this year, and just yesterday was contacted by Cathay Pacific, to interview for a position of Second Officer via the Cadet Pilot route. It appears they will pay for everything, and in 12 months, I will be a second officer on a widebody. Now, before I am told to use the search function, I have. I have looked all over this forum, PPrune's Fragrant Harbor site, and I have exhausted all web resources. Do we have any Cathay Employees on this board? Does anybody know if its really that bad? Currently I have north of 500 hours, and 200 of that is instruction. Right now, It looks like regionals might be an option, but a self made time line has me becoming FO in 5 years, on Cathay. In the very least, I would be building heavy jet, xc time, and getting international experience.
What are your thought?
Thanks!
I am new to this forum. I will be graduating from Purdue University in December of this year, and just yesterday was contacted by Cathay Pacific, to interview for a position of Second Officer via the Cadet Pilot route. It appears they will pay for everything, and in 12 months, I will be a second officer on a widebody. Now, before I am told to use the search function, I have. I have looked all over this forum, PPrune's Fragrant Harbor site, and I have exhausted all web resources. Do we have any Cathay Employees on this board? Does anybody know if its really that bad? Currently I have north of 500 hours, and 200 of that is instruction. Right now, It looks like regionals might be an option, but a self made time line has me becoming FO in 5 years, on Cathay. In the very least, I would be building heavy jet, xc time, and getting international experience.
What are your thought?
Thanks!
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