Ask Lufthansa that question. Even better why not hire an experienced German RJ driver?

 

I've been trying to break into the Asia-Pacific market for what seems like forever and just the other day I was thinking this is just the reason why I have never heard a thing back from my applications.

 

It is in fact a small percentage of guys, don't get me wrong, most of the guys that I have heard stories from that come from the regionals are professional, well balanced individuals, but man there is that 10 or 20% that make a name for themselves very quickly

 

I have a few questions after researching this cadet thing further; if anyone could answer them, it would be great. If one already has flying experience, must he or she still undergo basic pilot training at Al Ain, or can they progress onwards to the type rating course? What happens after the cadet training is over with? Does one become a second officer or a first officer? Lastly, how long is upgrade to captain at Etihad Airways?

 

Your questions are best directed towards the EY recruiters for the best accurate answers.

 

The FAQ says that you will be a second officer.

 

Second hand information says that maximum experience level to apply is PPL. Beyond that, you fall into the category of the normal recruitment.

 

Has anyone that applied heard anything from Etihad?

 

The main reason for the cadet program is that the government has a big push for companies to hire and train young Emiratis for mid to high level positions. They are already a minority of the population, and with loads of cheap labor available from third world countries, and no shortage of expats looking to make a buck, entry level management type positions are generally how companies comply with this initiative.

A few general questions have already been answered, this is not the company ringing the bell in a desperate attempt to attract pilots. They don't want to type RJ drivers who will then shop around their type rating a year or to later. The company is growing quickly, and the time to command is dropping, so having a supply of young FO's who won't meet the upgrade hour requirements for 6-7 years also means having a steady group of experience in the right seat.

They have opened up the cadet program to a limited number of non-native cadets in the past, but these few dozen out of thousands of applicants world wide were often connected somehow.

It's worth a shot for those who are just getting started with flying, it's definitely a lottery ticket, however for those of you in the trenches flying as CFI's, freight dogs, or regional FOs it's probably not going to happen.

 

Nice insight and a very concise write up on the direction that EY is taking!