I'm new to the forum, and joined because of a freight guy that I know pointed me here to get my questions answered (will not give his name away). My goal is CX, either cargo or PAX.
I just finished my Private a few weeks ago, and already am into the Commercial.
Was wondering, what is the fastest way to get to CX? Besides the tickets, what else should I do to make my goal come faster? I'm considering, when I'm ready to, applying for a Second Officer (Relief pilot?). No way I can get 5,000 hrs in a few years. Still in College, and have 2.5 years left in the Army.

 

Quickest? Hmmm... I don't think there is anything you can do to quickly get into Cathay. It is fiercly competetive. Finish your licenses and degree, get the highest quality flight time you can and keep updating your application every few months. Eventually you will get a call. Impress them twice and you are in. Second Officer positions are just as hard to get as First Officer positions at Cathay. It is not because they are less experienced. I have heard of heavy jet captains accepting Cathay SO positions. You say, you can't get 5,000 hours in a few years. There is no magic number on flight time. Some guys get called with a few thousand hours, others have 10 thousand. In my best assumptions, you are still more than a few years away. Things you can do though, other than just building flight time, is become as international as possible. Do your flight instructing over in Asia. Travel internationally, especially Hong Kong, on vacation. Look at getting hired by other Asian carriers until you get called by Cathay. Someone once posted about EVA having a US training program that allowed low time guys going to work for them. Japan has some very good turbo-prop and RJ jobs you may eventually qualify for.

With more than 20,000 applications on file at CX, getting an interview is a lot like winning the lottery, but you can improve your odds. From being one of those 20,000 applications to getting selected, the percentage are in the single digits. So, be careful focussing on only one company. Don't pass up fantastic career opportunities for something that will most likely never happen. (I hope that didn't sound too negative.)

Good luck in your career. One more thing, when I interviewed at Cathay, the one thing all the candidates had in common was that they were extremely positive guys. So as you face setbacks, bumps and bruises along your path to Cathay, keep a good attitude and don't become disgruntled.

Cheers,
BBB

 

Hi BBB:
Thanks for the info. CX would be nice, but I want to get on with an Asian company. There's rumor going around that I've heard that there are a lot of CFI jobs in China for US CFIs.
I thought for jobs in Japan, one has to be fluent in Japanese. If that's not the case, then I wonder if my 2 semesters of Japanese were for nothing other than the credits.
I'll try to find the info for the EVA air program. Take care, and see ya around.
-jsf

 

BBB or anyone else with CX interview experience,
I was lucky enough to be called for an interview with CX in SFO next month. Do you have any info on how to go about preparing for them? I hear they are unique in their interviewing practices compared with U.S. domestic carriers. I am military with 2500TT and 1500PIC all in KC-130s. I hear they quiz people on 747 info and general aviation knowledge. Do they focus on just their platforms or will they ask questions about my particular airframe?
Any advice would be great.
v/r
Raidr

 

pprune.com, then go to the Fragrant Harbour section. More interview prep/info than you can imagine.

 

dojetdriver,
Thanks for the info, I downloaded about a meg of gouge files. Looks like its time to hit the books.
raidr

 

The only way to join EVA with low time is as an ab-inito cadet. You must have Taiwanese citizenship though. Cathay, however, also has a cadet program. You must be a Hong Kong permanent resident card holder (3 star).