I'm new to the board and I have a question about flying for the above mentioned airline. What i'd like to know is, is it possible for an american to apply for a job with an airline based out of hong kong or any other country for that matter? I notice they have a lot of australian pilots flying their jets. I know that HK and australia have some good relations but they are still entirely seperate countries. If anyone can shed some light on this topic then please do so.

 

It is possible and I've met a few cathay pacific crews in Germany - a few had americans...Best bet would be to go to a job fair and get information on them...


-LA

 

Cathay does hire americans:either you get on as a passenger SO based in HK or you get on as an cargo FO based in the states(LAX, ORD, JFK).

You can get based as a cargo FO in other countries(UK, France, Canada, OZ) if you have the right to live and work in that country.

Maybe Typhoon will show up soon and shed some more light on the situation, he is living the american flying for a countries carrier-EK.

Hope that helps
WP

 

As already said, you can definitely work for Cathay. Look at their history, they were started by an American and an Australian.

American pilots work in many different countries. This is generally a result of that particular country not having enough home grown pilots of their own. The specific airline would then get approval from their government to hire foreign pilots.

Some airlines will hire foreign pilots on a permanent basis, but the vast majority do so on a contract basis. A contract can be as little as 3 months to as long as 5 years. Sometimes the contracts are renewable, other times they are not. Cathay hires on a permament basis as does Emirates, Dragonair, and a few others.

Look at the Crew Leasing information on this site to get an idea where pilots go overseas to work. You'll see terms like "Right to live and work in the EU" or JAA, CAA license required. In those cases an American would probably not qualify as we have FAA certificates, not JAA. Nor do we generally have the right to live and work in the European Union. ( that's a good tip for the young, marry a European ). You'll also see ICAO certifcate required. An FAA certificate is considered to be an ICAO certificate as the USA is a signator of ICAO.

Hope that helps,


Typhoonpilot

 

I am an American with a FAA ATP and I am awaiting a course date with Cathay.

 

Thanks for the info. I have a while to go before I can even think of applying with any airline but its good to know that it is a possibility. In my opinion, Cathay is one of the best airlines out there and I would love to fly for them someday.

Now does anyone know what kind of pay an ex military pilot could expect when starting out with an airline like Cathay? How tough is it to even land a flying job with them? Would I still be forced into retirement at 60 if i'm flying for an international airline? Thank's again for the replies.

 

I think the Cathay payscales are here on APC, if not they are on PPrune. You don't get any better pay because you are ex-military. Everybody starts at the same pay rate. The Cathay freighter F.O.s based in the States start in the mid 60s I believe. Cathay's retirement age is 55. They are also one of the most difficult interviews around. I think the success rate is about 12.5 %. If you can design aircraft, know all about previous design of aircraft and are able to talk knowledgeably about Aerodynamics at a Master's or Phd level then you shouldn't have any problem

TP

 

Speaking of Cathay... a recent computer worm has eaten a bunch of my files and I don't have the "APPLICATION_UPDATE_FORM.doc" that they sent me via e-mail. Does anyone have one of these I can use to send them an update? I still have my own PRN number which I can use. Thanks.

-Murano

 

Ditto the ex-military comments earlier. Doesn't matter what your background is. True at any airline.

Friend of mine just hired by CP. Cargo, LAX. $69/hour to start. He said about $120,00 after three years. Can go to the PAX side after a few years in cargo. Two interviews, first one is a killer. Had over 30 technical questions, so you need to be prepared.

 

I mean no offense to your friend, BUT

$120,000 USD after 3 years is incredibly/unbelievably optimistic to say the absolute least.

I know personally, (very well), 2 pilots at Cathay on the freight side, both with OVER 3 years seniority that do not make 120,00 USD before tax. In fact, subtract about $25,000 USD average and you have a realistic number.

I do not know if he meant as a Commander, but upgrade to 400 Freight Command with a North American base is definately not 3 years. Transfers to the PAX fleet are not guranteed. They can be requested after a minimum of 3 years on the freight side, and at that point it is by the flollowing, vacancy/seniority/ and finally, the most important, management has to feel like letting you do it. Which they don't always do, considering there is a shortage on the freight side due to the lower pay.

Believe me, if the pay was that good and or the North American Command was that quick, I would have left where I am now, as I was hired by Cathay last year. I turned them down. With that being said, they are a very good airline and a fairly good employer if you walk their line.