Cathay Pacific Second Officer
 

Just curious if anyone knows anything about the CX SO programme? I am an American and see they potentially hire with anything over 250TT. Money looks pretty good at abotu $6,000/month. A couple questions -

1. If I go fly over there will I receive a type rating in the jet that would be transferrable to the US if I want to come back and fly here?
2. What are the chances to upgrade to FO someday?
3. What is it like living in HKG?

I did some research on foreign sites and there were a lot of peeved Aussies and Brits that didn't think the SO programme was worth a darn. Just curious if anyone has anything more up to date. That should be it for now. Thanks!

$6000/mo. would probably get you a 400 sq. ft. studio apartment in HKG with a partially obstructed view of a dumpster.

There is no way you will get a good dumpster view on that money! Lol

Seriously though, I love Hong Kong. It is a great place, but not cheap. I imagine your idea is to build experience and TT for better future jobs. As a Cathay SO do you have to live in base or can you commute from a less expensive location? I don't know.

Check out pprune. Go to the fragrant harbour section and you will get more info on this program than you will know what to do with.... There is a specific thread on that very program which may open your eyes quite a bit....

CX SO is not a really a time building job, it is a place to go if you want to make it a career, from what I have been told.

As a SO, you will be the relief pilot on long haul flights. Upgrade times are 7-9 years before you make FO. SO doesn't land, only flies in the cruise phase.
I heard commuting as a SO is very difficult.

You can see why it isn't a time building job, but rather a career job. Most of my Euro friends have applied. I have not for the reasons mentioned above.

Good luck if you choose to apply.

Not even close...current SO to JFO upgrades are at the 4 year mark. There was no hiring, except a handful in 2009, so once all the 2008 hires are trained then the upgrade should drop to around 3 years. After that, who knows. Of course management is talking about parking airplanes now so everything is, as always in aviation, subject to change.

I am in no way advocating coming to CX on the current package. If you do come to CX and you are in your early twenties, I would suggest it as a time building job....3-4 years as an SO then get your 1000-1500 hours in the right seat and bail if you can find something better.

I have 7 years in and at best I am estimating another 10 years to the left seat.

FO.

Thanks fr clearing it up. I guess I was fed exaggerated numbers by an unhappy guy.

For those thinking of applying, maybe you can share some more info...
1. How does the pay relate to living costs in HK?
2. Do you get a housing allowance?
3. How long did training take?
4. If you could stick out the 7 years to Captain upgrade, what would be better than CX? (not saying they are the best, but in your opinion what looks like a better option to you?)

Check again, he said 17yrs to LHS from start:eek:

Cathay is no longer the choice it used to be..............

I have over 2500hrs jet and turned down CX as they still only offering the SO deal. Couldn't face 4yrs as a radio monkey! Very good threads on PPrune on the subject, with a blow by blow account of daily life as an SO.

Good luck.

That's what I meant, forgot the 1 :)

It will be very unlikely that anyone will make a career of CX through this program, the flying will be so boring (answering a CPDLC call now and again) you will never get to fly the airplane at all, and your currency will be done in the sim all the time, the salary will get you a place the size of a shoe box in Hong Kong and although it is a great city with tons of night life, you will not be able to afford it! is very expensive to live with any sort of social agenda there. The time line will be more like 9 years to upgrade to F/O and 20 years for a captain upgrade for what I hear, and in top of everything, you spend all that time flying as an S/O, you get sick of it and then you can't even get a job flying in any other company abroad because the vast majority of places will not take S/O time at all, many places won't even take cruise captain time. Do a LOT of research on this so called "opportunity" before you jump in.