Cathay Pacific Cadet Pilot Programme

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

CX GE90, Thanks for making the blog. Hope it will help a lot of people. :)

Holdmetight: Good luck at flight grading!!! :ok:

[Andrew_W]

CP41 is going to start in early December but CP41 has already finished its intake. Some guys down here are doing grading for CP42 which I expect will start in Feb next year

[StandardToaster]

@Andrew_W

Is CP41 definitely full? :sad:

[holdmetight]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it!:ok:

[NZGYPO]

Has anyone from the Auckland interviews heard back yet from their stage 1 interviews?

[NewZealand787]

Nzgypo, i'm still waiting. Ive heard a rumour that some rejection emails have already gone out, so i'm hoping that no news is good news......

[ozskygirl]

Hey there :O Where abouts did you get the practice tests from? Cheers!

[SW1]

Anyone still waiting for Stage 3 results from last month?? I know some people have had the good news now, but this is getting a bit silly now:ugh:

[CMS123]

My stage3 interview was back in August. I called them a week ago but there was no result for me. I wonder if that has something to do with the amount of flight hours you have. I got about 280 hours. Maybe no news is good news. :O

[SW1]

Hey CMS, I currently have around 320 hours and a type rating. I had a medical follow up letter some weeks back regarding a VERY minor issue, which I got checked out.

I saw a specialist who gave me a letter that I consequently sent to Cathay. I received an aknowledgement but nothing since then. So youve been waiting since August, i know guys that were there in early september that are down in ADL since yesterday doing theire Fligh grading, what is going on???:ugh:

[orangeboy]

maybe they are trying to get guys with similar experience into the same batch?

i guess waiting beats getting the rejection letter? although i could imagine the wait must be a killer! :}

[SW1]

They've already got a couple of experienced guys from the week I was there down in ADL doing their FG. I dont know whats going on but it sounds like their rejecting people on medical grounds that are frankly, ludicrous. Be aware if you have any problem, however small, they will ask for further investigations, Be warned:=

[herrtob]

totally agree with SW1

my medical status, various requesting record and sending around etc etc have had my file on "pending" for 2 months already, they want to be absolutely clear that you're ... well... clear. good luck all :)

[orangeboy]

i guess when they're chucking that much money into your training and future, they'd want to be absolutely sure about everything - i guess having the CASA class 1 doesn't mean anything then?

[SW1]

Herrtob,

When did you have your stage 3? Have you had any correspondance from the recruitment team or just various emails from the nurses? Ive sent them everything that they asked for and am still waiting:ugh:

[NZGYPO]

NewZealand 787

I haven't heard that rumour, but to be honest I only know one other guy who did the interview and I am not in touch with him. Here is hoping no news is good news. If we both get through then I think a beer is required.

[SW1]

Orangeboy,

I hold a JAA class 1 and have commercial experience, the issue they had has never stopped me flying or even been an issue for any of my renewals. I went to see a specialist who has clearly as day said im fit to fly. I dont know why Cathay are being so picky, and to be honest ive saved them a hell of a lot of money by having all my licences and a type rating. Either way theyve already chopped people on medical issues bordering on the unreal....:ugh:

[404 Titan]

SW1

The medical check for all initial hires at CX isn’t just an aviation class 1 medical but it is also a medical for loss of licence insurance (two years gross salary) and life insurance (five years gross salary). Those last two medicals are to a much higher standard than any aviation medical. Unfortunately if there is any doubt that can’t be clarified you can’t be employed on insurance grounds.

[SW1]

I totally understand that. Ive sent all the information required to the AMO at Cathay. I sent the nurse ,who emailed me the PDF letter from the Dr at Cx, an email asking if they were fine with what i had sent and whether any further tests were needed. i just received a reply saying "report received with thanks". Not sure what to do now apart from wait. I dont want to end up like one of these guys that gets pissed about for 2 months and then gets binned. I remember this happening to one chap in 2004!

[holdmetight]

i guess having the CASA class 1 doesn't mean anything then?

The only bonus I can think of is you could be exempted from doing the second check-up for the CASA Class 2 after you are accepted as a cadet. I'm not sure about that though, but it seems quite logical a guess. I have a current CASA Class 1 medical, and I had to do the entire initial medical checkup again. I even had to get my eyes checked, but reading about what others have gone through makes my case seem like a non-event.

Good luck to everyone still waiting for a flight grading invitation. Hang on in there, they should be quite keen to take you on, if not they would not have spent money flying you into HKG for Stage 2 and 3.:ok:

[ap_797]

Hi guys,
I was wondering whether anyone knew what the average conversion rate is from stage 1 to stage 2? Do most people usually make the cut or is it a small number who make the grade as it were?

For those that did make it to stage 2 in the past how have you felt your interviews went?

Thanks!

[Em773ER]

Thanks everyone for your answers!!!:ok:

Just a quick question, silly as this may sound, its a serious question. What do CX pilots do for fun during long haul? Are they allowed to bring in any electronic gadgets and what not? e.g ipod touch, electronic chess game etc. At some point they are gona ask what makes you think you will enjoy long haul?, just wana be honest with them and not BS this one.

ap_797 if my figures are correct, about 40%ish give or take. but not sure about stage 2 to stage 3, are they actually combining stage 2 and 3 now?, like if you do bad in stage 2 you still do stage 3 and they decide from both stages performance whether you go to stage 4?

Cheers!

[Smell the Coffee]

Em777er, the usual things ... yes, some take DVDs and such with them when flying to the less "desirable" routes (not sure where those might be on the CX network), some hire bikes/cars to explore the neighbourhood whilst others stay in the vicinity of the hotel pool with a good book.

It may be different at CX compared to the airline I currently work for (I'm not a pilot but flew longhaul as crew so spent many hours with these guys) - many people enjoy longhaul because they tend to accumulate a lot of free time off towards the end of the month which they then use to catch up with family, hobbies etc.

At some point in your CX career you'll be doing a lot of non long-range "there and backs" as well I would imagine.

For me it was the destinations and all those days off. Not sure if that's what they want to hear from a propective cadet though :}

[GTC58]

While operating in the cockpit only company manuals and material are approved reading material, when having your in-flight rest you can do what you want, go to the back watch a movie, sleep, read a book .....

While on layover you sleep, eat, work-out and drink a lot of alcohol in no particular order to deal with jet lag and fatique.

[NewZealand787]

Nzgypo, we will definitely celebrate a trip up to HK with a beer. Fingers crossed for us both. What day did you interview? Do you have any flight training?

[404 Titan]

SW1
I totally understand that. Ive sent all the information required to the AMO at Cathay. I sent the nurse ,who emailed me the PDF letter from the Dr at Cx, an email asking if they were fine with what i had sent and whether any further tests were needed. i just received a reply saying "report received with thanks".
The decision isn't CX's. It is the insurance company's and they may still require more info but have told CX AMO yet. As I said you are doing an insurance medical and CX are dealing with them behind the scenes. If the insurance company wants more info, they will get more info. It just so happens that they are also doing an aviation medical at the same time which is the easy bit.
I dont want to end up like one of these guys that gets pissed about for 2 months and then gets binned. I remember this happening to one chap in 2004!
I wouldn’t say that too loud if I were you my friend. There are quite a few DESO’s/DEFO’s who have been accepted by CX and are still on the hold file after two years while International Cadets like yourself bypass them for a position. Two months is nothing when you look at what is happening to these guys. As for the reason why they are being overlooked? I’ll give you one guess. Money. You are cheap.

As for the guy in 2004 that got binned. I think I remember a guy on here about that time berating CX for knocking him back on medical ground even though he had held a JAA class I medical for a number of years. I tried to explain to him what I have just told you but only got an irrational tirade back from him. I was sympathetic to his plight but didn’t deserve his verbal abuse.

[NZGYPO]

NewZealand787, I interviewed on Wednesday the 15th I believe. Yea I already have a CPL and a frozen ATPL, also doing an instructor rating at the moment, How about yourself?

[startingout]

Applied July 2009 still no sign and the website keeps telling me my application is being processed. I guess if on holidays to Hong Kong I might go update my application in person. Anyone else in similar positions?

[holdmetight]

I was wondering whether anyone knew what the average conversion rate is from stage 1 to stage 2? Do most people usually make the cut or is it a small number who make the grade as it were?

Can't really give you a ballpark figure there, as I don't think they have a certain quota they are trying to achieve. You pass if you have what it takes. I would think, though, the attrition rate for Stage 1 isn't as high as for Stage 2.

For those that did make it to stage 2 in the past how have you felt your interviews went?

I enjoyed it immensely, and it seems my interviewers did as well. I got questions wrong at times, but they were kind enough to guide me in the right direction until I came up with the correct answer. I got a lot of questions, from lots of aspects of flying, but it felt like a chat with some flying enthusiasts more than anything else. Just relax and try to convey your enthusiasm as much as you can - you have probably spent months or maybe even years preparing, now is the time to show them what you have done!

but not sure about stage 2 to stage 3, are they actually combining stage 2 and 3 now?, like if you do bad in stage 2 you still do stage 3 and they decide from both stages performance whether you go to stage 4?

Stage 2 and 3 are "combined", as in Stage 2 takes place one day before Stage 3. You are invited to Stage 3 the following day, only if you pass Stage 2. Those who make it to flight grading will have passed Stage 2 and Stage 3 each to the standards that Cathay expect from a cadet.

[ap_797]

Thanks for the responses! Holdmetight, with the interviews, do they assess performance in the interview as a whole or would they break it down into performance in the HR part and performance in the tech part so that if you failed one of those parts for example, you would not be eligible to continue?

Best of luck to all awaiting stage 1 responses

[holdmetight]

Holdmetight, with the interviews, do they assess performance in the interview as a whole or would they break it down into performance in the HR part and performance in the tech part so that if you failed one of those parts for example, you would not be eligible to continue?

I don't know, all I can say is I have never heard of interviews being terminated prematurely because of poor performance in either the HR or technical portions.

[ap_797]

my bad, I should have phrased it a little better.... I meant continue in the sense of progressing to stage 2.

[holdmetight]

That well and truly beats me, I think only the HR personnel would know how interviews are graded.

[cykzstudent]

Does anyone know if the initial S/O rosters are commutable? I was toying with the idea of commuting to HKG base with my gf's airline passes, which from my understanding are more flexible than CX passes.

Thanks

[NewZealand787]

Nzgypo, sounds like we are in a very similar position. I have a CPL and just have to complete ATPL Law to get my fATPL. Im also in the process of doing an Instructors Rating.
I interviewed on the Tuesday. Hope we hear back this week

[ozskygirl]

.. have ordered the following study materials. Anyone who has read any of these AND gotten through a stage or two, were they of great help to you?

Ace the Technical Pilot Interview (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071396098/ref=ox_ya_os_product)
Mental Math for Pilots (Professional Aviation series) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560275103/ref=ox_ya_os_product)
Airline Pilot Interviews: How You Can Succeed in Getting Hired /921T (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0942195019/ref=ox_ya_os_product)

Cheers! :)

[holdmetight]

Ace the Technical Pilot Interview (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071396098/ref=ox_ya_os_product)
Airline Pilot Interviews: How You Can Succeed in Getting Hired /921T (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0942195019/ref=ox_ya_os_product)

I personally did not use these books, as I felt that a pilot of my level of experience did not require extensive reading of ATPL-level books. However I have heard a lot of positive reviews about them; more experienced candidates would say the bank of technical questions was useful for revision, while candidates with less flying experience might get a good look-in with regards to jet systems and operations. A word of caution, though, I have also heard that ATTPI has flaws in some of its Q&As, so sift carefully.

Mental Math for Pilots (Professional Aviation series) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560275103/ref=ox_ya_os_product)

I used this book to rev up my brain power, and I can say this is a pretty good book. Even if you are a novice towards flying, the examples and exercises in this book can help you understand the mental mathematics involved in flying, and provided you practice on your own, it will make you much more confident and comfortable with those dreaded mental math calculations in the interview. I'd definitely recommend this book anyday.

[CXGE90]

ozskygirl:

I found 'Ace' to be very useful. Just be aware that you will have to do your own homework to supplement the answers given in the book. I found that most of the technical questions I got in my interview were covered in the book.

[ozskygirl]

Thanks for the advice guys!

holdmetight- how many hours did you have when you took your initial interview? I got my restricted 10 years ago and haven't flown since.. you think with this (lacking) kind of experience they wont get to technical? Still ask questions about jet systems I would assume?

Thankyou :p

[crwjerk]

Em773ER
Just a quick question, silly as this may sound, its a serious question. What do CX pilots do for fun during long haul? Are they allowed to bring in any electronic gadgets and what not? e.g ipod touch, electronic chess game etc. At some point they are gona ask what makes you think you will enjoy long haul?, just wana be honest with them and not BS this one.

I think you are actually asking if you can play with these in the cockpit....?
Of course not, if you pull one out and you're with the wrong captain or F/O, kiss your CX job goodbye.... Wait til you get to the hotel room, and play with them while you're feasting on your Nissen Cup noodles.
What you might enjoy about long haul, is seeing the world ( albeit for a very short time), meeting different people, flying a big new shiny jet,all that bla bla, cos you can't say you are doing it for the money! ( Well, these days you aren't anyway....):ok:

[SW1]

kiss your CX job goodbye

I think that applies to the interview as well. I would not use your answer, however true it may be. The above reasons mentioned by crw are more plausable. Mentioning you would pull out your Gameboy or whatever is classed as entertainment these days will go down quicker than a lead balloon!!

[bonbon512]

A few posts back there was topic about leg length during stage 3 medical ...

Yes, they do measurements for leg length and arm length as well. These are not required to get a Class 1 Medical, however I was told that it is CX's internal policy for all candidates to meet specific internal length requirements before you can pass the medical. For instance, leg length must be 100cm+. If you don't meet that requirement, even if you're 99.9cm, you'll fail your medical assessment. Something to keep in mind before you start the application process, because if you don't meet the requirements, there's no point spending all your time prepping for all CXCPP interviews.

As for books, I found "Ace the Technical" to be very useful, but be aware that some of the answers are incorrect or unclear. You have to do your own research to confirm. Depending on your experience/knowledge level, many of the questions/topics are too advanced, but it never hurts to be over-prepared.

[holdmetight]

how many hours did you have when you took your initial interview? I got my restricted 10 years ago and haven't flown since.. you think with this (lacking) kind of experience they wont get to technical? Still ask questions about jet systems I would assume?

I had 85 hours TT when I did Stage 1.

They will definitely get technical with you sooner or later, so try to read up a bit on jet systems etc. The purpose of asking you these things is to see how you react when outside your comfort zone. Obviously they also want to know if you have done any extra reading outside your level of experience. They probably don't expect you to know the answer to such questions, but that is the point of it all - they want to see if you will try to find a reasonable answer, or just sit back and fold your arms. If you read my list of Stage 2 and 3 questions that I posted a while back, you will see I got a lot of jet-related questions despite all my flying experience being on single-engine piston aircraft in day VFR.

[Em773ER]

Thanks everyone for your responses! :ok:

And yes crwjerk you are correct, I wanted to know what and what's not allowed in the cockpit during operations.

Can someone run down the process from graduating cadet to S/O? What happens during this period and how long is it? Thanks in advance!

[orangeboy]

so for the functional reach test do they just measure your arms and legs? or you sit somewhere and they see if you can reach certain items?


and given those leg length requirements, looks like it will be near impossible for people of around 1.6m to make it through, unless they have disproportionately longs legs for their height. :bored:

[DDobinpilot]

In my stage 1 they asked every single person the exact same questions whether ATPL or PPL. Seemed a bit harsh asking a PPL what Clear Air Turbulence was but anyway.. They seem to also have slightly different tech exams for different levels I believe.

[ronron_v439q]

Hi All,
I have a concern.
According to the post by Bonbon512 he mentioned that
"For instance, leg length must be 100cm+. If you don't meet that requirement, even if you're 99.9cm, you'll fail your medical assessment....."
Can someone verify that?
How do they measure leg length? Example: From base of feet to groin area? or from base of feet to waist?
My height is 180cm (1.8m) and my leg length (from base of feet to groin) is about 93cm, will that mean I would have fail the medical test?
I have not measured my arms, but they are quite long, I could reach to about 230-240cm with my arms totally stretch to the ceiling.
For someone with a leg length of 100cm+, he/she would have very long legs! I have friends whose height is about 1.9m and his leg length is about 100cm

Thanks!

[orangeboy]

i think leg length is from base of foot or ankle to the hip - does anyone who has done the medical know for sure the measurments and where they are taken to and from?

[bonbon512]

Functional reach test:
1) Legs - Sitting on the floor, with your back to the wall (hips/butt flush against the wall/floor). Measured from the wall to your heel
2) Arms - shoulder blade against the wall. Hold out your arm straight out. Curl your fingers into your hand (not making a fist, but just so your middle knuckles are the farthest point on your body) Measured from the wall to your middle knuckles.

[ronron_v439q]

Hi bonbon５１２
thanks for the clarification

Thanks!

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

As I'm pretty concerned about this 'leg length test', can the people who did their medical in the past 2 months confirm this test? Because I spoke with somebody who's doing his training at the moment and he never had this test. He's even pretty sure that somebody in his class - who's only 1.63m - doesn't have the 100+cm leg length. Maybe it's a new test???

[SW1]

I did my medical last month and did niot have to do it. i think the Dr takes a look at you and if you look disproportionate he will test you. If you look on the Cathay website for the cadet pilot it say, "may be subject to a functional reach test" that wasnt there a few months back, so definetly something new. Im only 1.8m and didnt have it. I was tested for strength. The doctor put pressure on my knees and elbows and I had to try and resist his force. They want to see that youre not too weak in the muscles, and no you dont need to be Arnie to pass this test!

[bonbon512]

I was told that people between 1.6-1.65m tall will be given the functional reach test because it's the group that most likely will not meet the leg length requirements. I had the medical within the past month and can confirm that this test is there.

[CMS123]

I'm about 162 cm and the nurse measured my leg length. Does anyone know if the nurse would tell candidates right after the medical test if they have their leg length shorter than 100cm?

[ozskygirl]

Hey again all! Just wondering whether anyone out there could please shoot me the JKI booklet? Shall PM you my email addy. Cheers!

[G_Orwell]

Hello Starskate

This program is one of the few in the industry that pays full training for CPL, IR, Multi-engine rating. Moreover it pays your tickets and accommodation at the flight school for the duration of the course, which is 61 weeks. After graduation, you get a placement to the pilot roster as a second officer in long-haul flights (B744,B777,A340). You log P2X hours for at least 3 years, until you become Junior First Officer. The salary is better than 25k/y from day one as a SO.
There are thousands applying but few take the position. So let's say that this program is an exeption on how men and women become pilots in this part of the world. Another reason on why there is a lot of activity on the web about this program is because they accept candidates from all over the world. Only Cathay Pacific and Etihad offer full cadetship to international candidates at the moment.

you can get more accurate information about the program staight from the source ... Cathay Pacific - Careers : Careers Home (http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_INTL/careers/flying/cadetpilot)

Orw

[bonbon512]

@CMS

The nurse may tell you if you're not meeting the requirements, but usually the doctor tells you immediately because there is no need to continue with other medical tests as you will not receive a pass on the medical.

So if you did your medical and no one has mentioned anything to you, then it's possible that you're alright.

[CMS123]

Thank you for your info. That makes me feel much better. :)
I think the nurse measured my legs after I finished from the doctor. After she measured my legs, another guy did blood test and x-ray for me. If I failed, they probably wouldn't run the rest of the tests on me.
I should have take lots of growth hormone when I was young. LOL

[aviator1988]

Hey SW1 /Holdmetight

Could you give me more info´s about the Aptitude test at stage 2?
Which kind of test are included?

Greetings:rolleyes:
aviator

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

@ozskygirl: If you still need the JKI booklet, send me a PM with your e-mailadress and I'll send it over.

[SW1]

Aviator1988, there is a very detailed desciption posted by HMT about 10 pages back that will expalin all about the aptitude test.

[coobg002]

Hey all, I have the first stage tomorow. The cadet program sounds perfect for an aspiring pilot. I am just feeling a bit of cold feet because Qantas is such an awesome aussie airline and I do love being australian. Could anyone comment on which they believe is a better career line for a pilot, whether it be through this cadetship, with the aspiration of one day being based back at home and a fulfilling career with CX, or whether it be doing the hard yards as an aussie instructor with a slim hope of getting a call from qantas years down the track. Its not that I am not motivated for CX, I have spoken to many people about it and they all think I should go for it and I want to. i just think i should think about all aspects first before commiting myself to at least 4 years in HK as a S0 not even flying the plane. Who knows, I may even end up living in HK for the rest of my life and loving it. I want honest answers, cheers

[CXGE90]

@coobg002:

The CX cadetship is certainly a great opportunity, however I think you must be 100% certain that it is for you before you go for your interview. It takes a lot of time and commitment to get through the various assessment phases and I'm very certain one of the questions you will be asked is "Why do you want to fly for Cathay and not Qantas?".

As for which path is the better career option? That really just depends on the individual I think. I am sure you've already done lots of homework for your interview but I have a bit of info on my blog which may be useful, feel free to check it out.

Goodluck either way!

[holdmetight]

How many days is one expected to stay in Adelaide for Advanced Flight Grading (3 Grob flights + 3 sim flights + briefings/weather contingency)?

Thanks in advance. :ok:

[Em773ER]

Just to add to what CXGE90 said, it's all about what you want out of your career as a pilot. The CX CPP is a very good opportunity to get trained to a high standard, and be part of a great team. If i'm correct you are based in Adelaide Australia?, maybe one day you can move back and be based there as a F/O on the A330. Be sure to know what you want! They will not take a cadet who could possibly dropout in the near future due to cold feet etc. And as for sacrifices, yeah a few to be made but I hear most S/Os for CX at the moment are enjoying life, it's what it's all about in the end, no one wants to be a miserable pilot.

All the best! :ok:

[Em773ER]

holdmetight, there was an excellent post by holdmetight about advanced flight grading... haha roughly one week?

http://www.pprune.org/fragrant-harbour-wannabes/386191-advanced-flight-grading.html

Post number 3, hope it helps and is still accurate!

Good luck in flight grading! :ok:

[holdmetight]

Haha well apart from the fact that the simulator sessions are now done on the DA42 sim (as the B200 sim is U/S), otherwise it should still be pretty much the same as before. The one week I quoted does not include weather contingency, it is only for the exercises and probably a briefing or two. :D

I was just looking for an approximate number of days that the grading will take - I need to send in a request for leave from my employers. When recruitment called me to invite me to flight grading, I was told the entire process would take 2 weeks; but judging from the experiences of friends who have done advanced grading, it takes a total of 10 days from start to finish, including all days for introduction, briefing, and weather contingencies. Due to circumstances I would like to take as little leave as possible, so I was wondering if someone could confirm the 10 day itinerary. :ok:

[AsL402]

I know some of the people I met from Stage 2 had their Flight Grading for 2 full weeks back in July.

[holdmetight]

I know some of the people I met from Stage 2 had their Flight Grading for 2 full weeks back in July.

Thanks for the reply. Did they all do advanced grading?

[Assad Spaceship2]

Dear all, I have the stage 1 interview on 21th Oct. Arriving in HK wed morning. Will be at Silvermine Beach. Anyone else for that date and stage?
If you want to get in touch, let me know.

[AsL402]

Thanks for the reply. Did they all do advanced grading?

So sorry about that, I didn't read clearly enough that you were asking about Advanced Flight Grading. I was referring to the Basic Flight Grading :ugh: Don't know what I was thinking.

[cxorcist]

Guys and Gals,

Stop worrying about all this minutiae!!! Start looking at the big picture and read the wise post, "Why I knocked back Cathay". He is spot on and his post needs to be read by all of you. It is 100% accurate. Just look at all the current Cathay pilots, myself included, whom are applauding...

Take off the rose-colored glasses and drink a cup of reality...

CXorcist

[CXGE90]

holdmetight:

Advanced flight grading took me 8 days - so 10 days should be sufficient.

Goodluck!

[ozskygirl]

There seems to be a whole heap of negative feedback about the CX Cadetship (ie. low income, hardly enough to survive, crappy pollution, crappy hours, etc).

Is there anyone out there that is a foreigner who has completed the cadetship, and is now living in Hong Kong? What are the conditions like? It would be good to hear from someone who is actually experiencing it all, especially an international who doesn't have financial help with housing.

[Cpt. Underpants]

The first group of "accelerated course" S/O's are about arrive in HKG any day now.

[Rayaan]

How long do they generally take to invite a candidate for the first stage? If I apply online today, how long would they take to let me know whether I qualified for first stage assessments or not?
Has anyone read anything about a monthly stipend to be given to the cadets in this programme?

[holdmetight]

AsL402

No worries, thanks for your reply. Hope all is well with you! ;)

CXGE90

Thanks for replying, do you recall the recruitment personnel saying anything about how many days to expect for advanced flight grading? I'm pretty much comfortable with the 10 day timeframe now, was just wondering what the official word is. :ok:

Rayaan

After submitting my online application, I waited for 6 months before they e-mailed me with an invitation for Stage 1. As for stipends, I think it is something around AUD400 per month?

[WelshRoots]

$105/week i believe

[CXGE90]

holdmetight:

They told us to expect to be in ADL for 2 weeks. You can leave whenever you're done of course.

[holdmetight]

Thanks for that! :ok:

[Rayaan]

Someone please let me know how many batches per year do they recruit for this course? Do they recruit once a year? twice a year? Those who have been invited to flight grading most recently, when did you guys apply? I applied today so which batch will I be considered for, some batch next year or there maybe a chance this year as well?

[startingout]

What is the best recruiting email to use? I have used the cadetpilot one before but unlike most people seem to never get a reply when sending in updated CV's.

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

@Rayaan: After applying it can take a very long time before you'll get an invitation mail. The lucky ones only have to wait 3-4 months, the most unfortunate people - and there are a lot - have to wait more then a year to get an invitation mail. That is, IF they get one. Not all people are invited to come and do the selection tests. However, I do believe that even if you will not be invited, you'll get a mail saying that you are not shortlisted for the tests.

How much batches per year, I do not know, maybe somebody else can tell. As the year is almost over, and it will certainly take a couple months or even a year before you'll get an invitation, you can be sure of one thing, starting a course this year, will not happen.

Blue skies, tailwinds, happy landings,

NFAM

[holdmetight]

Someone please let me know how many batches per year do they recruit for this course?

From observation courses are starting up every 2 months, so I'd say 6 batches a year?

Those who have been invited to flight grading most recently, when did you guys apply?

I applied in mid-December, 2009.

What is the best recruiting email to use?

As far as I know the cadetpilot one is the only official recruitment e-mail, unless you happen to know the personal e-mails of the staff. I'd advise you to stick to the official e-mail, even if you never get a reply. You can't go wrong if you use the official one.

[coobg002]

Yeh cheers guys, cold feet isnt probably the best term but I really liked your answers. I guess I just dont believe anyone can be 100% sure they want to be a cadet no matter how much they love aviation. How does someone seriously know they want to live in HK for 4 years without even going there first. Thats why Im going there for a week and staying with a mate to check it out. Then I can trully see what I would be getting myself into. Also, I think that the people should be asking the current cadets also about how they like their position. More information is better than just information on how to wing the recruitment process, hence my question about the value of a career as a Qantas pilot. I still think Cathay is the absolute best option for me, even over Qantas and especially the other Aussie airlines but anyone who has even more information eg current captains or second officers or anyone who knows people who work for CX could you give any information on the cadetship, positive or negative. Ive got a lot of positive which is excellent but a few negative comments may make it all a bit more believable.

[Smell the Coffee]

How does someone seriously know they want to live in HK for 4 years without even going there first.

They don't. Point is the alternative options for most folks are no more attractive.

I've read all the negative points on life at CX on other threads. The P2X rating and cost of living are valid points, but I work for a major UK carrier and have heard it all before.

Most major carriers are going down the same cost-cutting route. CX are no better or worse than anyone else....if people decide to turn down CX fair enough, but most will be very disappointed when they find out that airline XYZ is up to the same tricks to get their costs down ...

CX don't bond you but give you a P2X rating. European carriers that DO pay for a *portion* of your training bond you for several years ... and that's just ONE example. Of course, they want their money's worth from you either way ...The only thing CX can't stop you from doing is leaving once you have enough P2 time ... but then again, all airlines terms will be similar, it's just a case of being homesick.

[SMOC]

CX is also banking on the fact that once you've spent 5-6yrs (4yrs as S/O P2X) in CX and finally got some useful P1U/S and P2 time, you've gone far enough up the seniority list that you stay rather than start at the bottom at QF as an S/O. Plus you still have no P1 CMD time other than the 50hrs you did during your CPL. Makes getting a job that requires CMD time difficult, so guess what the brass handcuffs stay on and you don't leave.

Used to be gold handcuffs........... How times have changed!

[NewZealand787]

Just a question for the international cadets that were invited to stage 2... Were you allowed to fly up to hong kong whenever you liked? Like a week before the interview to check it out? I know Cathay will only pay for the hotel while you are interviewing, but I thought it would be a good chance to check out the city. Do they just FedEx you an open ticket?

[coobg002]

Hey to newzealand787,

I asked them that on thurs when I did my interview, they said they would pay for the air fare to HK a week earlier if I made it to 2nd stage. Pretty nice of em

[Em773ER]

Hey everyone, i've always thought all CX routes are to and from HK, excluding flights like adelaide to melbourne, is this the case?, from the system timetable it shows flights like auckland to amsterdam etc, do CX really operate these kinds of routes?

Thanks in advance!:ok:

[BigglesNBella]

Auckland to Amsterdam = Auckland to Hong Kong & Hong Kong to Amsterdam

[crwjerk]

Who says you have to live in Hong Kong for 4 years? What happens after 4 years? You'll still be an S/O if you've managed to survive that long, and even after you're promoted, there's no chance of getting a basing in your home country. So, it's gonna be a lot longer than 4 years. HK is a great place, but only for those who can afford to enjoy it.

[northbound207]

Hey All,

It's amazing to see the number of people applying to this program and even more amazing to see the support everyone is lending to one another to help. I thought I would throw in my two cents with regards to living in Hong Kong and hope to offer some honest information and insight into life in Hong Kong so that everyone can find the right motivation for joining this program. Since, throughout stages 1 to 3, the interviewers have honestly wanted to make sure that we as expats signing up for this cadetship knew what we were getting ourselves into.

Having lived primarily in a small town north of Hong Kong (in mainland China) and Toronto all my life, I may be able to provide some insight with comparisons to people looking to make the move to Hong Kong. If there are anybody here who is from HK that finds that my information is inaccurate, please correct me.

Of course the first thing to consider in any move is whether or not you could support yourself in HK, and consider whether this is enough to cover your basic needs - first, and wants - second.

First of all - Food. Since Hong Kong itself does not have a large agriculture industry almost all produce are imported from China. This should be apparent enough that buying groceries in Hong Kong is generally more expensive than most major cities in Canada, US, and Australia , but definitely less than that of the UK.
One thing worth noting is that there is a substantial difference of cattle, as all of HK's cattle products are all imported. I thought I'd make this note, since, afterall, being able to have the foods we are used to and not does go a long way in affecting the comfort of an expat who is not accustomed the local foods.
Which means that candidates particularly from Canada and the US should expect only the pasteurized milk, and not the fresh milk that they are used to. Other beef products such as steaks are available.

Furthermore to food is that there is almost food of every variety and from almost all cultures of the world ranging from Indian, south & north Chinese, Korean, japanese, north american, many different european and southeast asian cuisines. However, like any non local food they will be slightly 'offset' to suit the local populice. Like any other major city, it all depends on where you go and what you order, but generally the prices are comparible to that of restaurants in Toronto.
In the best scenario, one can find many 茶餐厅 (cha can ting) or cafe houses that serve lunch and dinner of local HK dishes with a HUGE variety of stir fry, baked or 'in soup' meals for very cheap prices. to illustrate this, you can usually have a complete meal (with full servings of vegetables, rice, and meat) such as a wonton noodle soup, pork chop baked rice for about $22 HK ($2.75 USD).
It is difficult to say how much the cost would be for an individual, since it depends so much on what the individual's tastes are. But for myself to maintain a healthy weekly diet, I would average approximately $700-800 HKD per week, taking into account the odd time going out to eat, avoiding expensive seafoods (like lobsters) or imported premium beef, lots of colour and green vegetables like tomatoes, brocolli, lettuce, bak choy and other chinese vegetables.

On a second officer salary, it is definitely realistic to eat a healthy diet and be able to enjoy eating out with friends, but definitely unrealistic to expect to be able to eat half your meals at a foreign cuisine or premium restaurant.

Next is Housing, the honest truth is that it is impossible to to compare the price of housing of Hong Kong to that of western countries such as Canada, US or even the UK. What I mean is that Hong Kong, with such limited space and high demand, makes each square feet of property extremely expensive, figures from 5000 to 15000 HKD per square feet are not unheard of. An expat coming from Canada, US, or Australia perhaps even, it is easy to be used to the relatively lower prices of home.
It is possible, for example, for a low income family of four (less than $45000 gross family income) to rent a house that is 2200 sq feet in the nearby city of Toronto (Canada) suburbs for CAD $2000-3000 per month. However, it is impossible to do so in Hong Kong, with monthly rental prices for a similiar sized house in HK would cost nearly $138,000 HKD per month (18000 CAD) (according to hongkonghomes.com).
As an expat going to Hong Kong for Cathay Pacific, one should be ready to live in much smaller sized accomodations (450 - 600 sq ft). But please be aware that this is not because of the low pay as a Second Officer, but rather just the way Hong Kong is and that the average middle class family of 4 will never live in a house that is bigger than 700 sq ft. Still however, the fact remains that accomodations will be much smaller for what you can buy with your money as compared to your home countries, I just hope to clarify that living in smaller accomodations does not equate to being part of the lower class in Hong Kong.

In perspective, Andy Lau (a popular singer/actor in HK) who is in the Guiness book of world records for being the artist with most awards won as an singer/actor, as well as being the No.1 box office Actor in HK (Hong Kong's equivalent of Michael Jackson) his sales from 1985-2005 worth $1,733,275,816 HKD ($227 million USD) over 108 films is only able to live in a 4000 sq ft "mansion" in HK (est @ $20 million USD) . Where as Jackson's Never land (at $25 Million USD) affords a whopping 2800 acres (121 000 000 sq ft).

Many lower income families adopt what is known as 'subsidized' government housing. In which lower income familes can rent or own a small flat (approx 600 sq ft) at much lower prices. However, this is not applicable to non HK residents, and CX Second officer salary does not fall eligible for this scheme (HK local residents can clarify this for me).

Third is -Transportation-
The public transit in HK quite simply put, is second to none. It is the best I have ever seen as compared to any other major city would have. It is very similiar to the system of London UK. And superior when compared to any Canadian system. All subways, and all buses are air conditioned (with non AC buses being cheaper). Travelling through HK is convenient, and public transit fares are calculated according to the distance travelled at somewhat lower fares than Toronto (Toronto has a flat rate of $3.25 for adults ($25 HKD). One trip to the airport on the bus from Kwai Fong (45 min) will cost $10.50 HKD. or $14.00 from HK island.

Since HK is an international hub, there are many airlines travelling to almost all reaches of the world. As well as trains and buses going into mainland China. China itself is not as english user friendly as HK, but generally you can get by if you stay in the major Chinese cities.

While buying a car in HK is not expensive, the cost of operating it is substantial. Parking fees, licence tags, insurance, and gas make owning your own vehicle quite difficult. It is not, however, crucial to have a car in HK. There are comments in the other forum of not being able to buy a car after 10 years of flying, but to clarify, buying a car is not a problem, it is the costs of operating it. Private use vehicles will have higher costs in licensing fees as compared to Cargo vehicles. I'm afraid I won't be able to tell you more about this, but as far as I've need to go, public transit hasn't let me down yet.

And Finally, price of commodities like entertainment,appliances,electronics etc..
To my surprise - electronics and appliances are more expensive in HK than compared to Canada. However the difference becomes minimal after factoring in Sales taxes in Canada (13% in Toronto), I'm not sure what other countries have in terms of tax, and this is only true for electronics such as computers, ipods, televisions.
(One light hearted side note - playstation/xbox games in HK are cheaper than anywhere else by a factor of 20%).

Clothing is another thing that is more expensive than Canada. Although there are many cheaper pieces of attire in Hong Kong, the price does come at the cost of quality, and generally for a $70 CAD pair of nikes, it would be wiser to buy them back at home.

Entertainment in HK is also limitless. Theatres offer a mix of Hollywood and oriental cinema. Bars and Pubs in HK are plentiful and depending on your tastes can be very cheap to very expensive. Alcohol is not banned publicly like Canada, so it is ok to be seen walking around with a beer on hand. There are many many gyms, and indoor sports facilities, as well as many public outdoor courts.

While the pollution in Hong Kong is great, it is not disportionate to what other similiar sized cities are. However, the hot summer temperatures and humid wet seasons do make a walk outdoors somewhat uncomfortable if you're used to the crisp dry Canadian winter, or climates of southern Australia.

I hope all this helps everyone to make a better informed decision as to whether HK or CX is the place for you. All in all, I believe that while conditions at CX has seen a decline over the years, it has definitely not fallen to or below the poverty line, but rather just declined from what it used to be. I also do believe that while it is feasible for an individual to live comfortably as a first year Second Officer, it will be difficult to support your family (if you have one), and will require substantial sacrifice, patience, and understanding should you bring along your spouse (if you are an expat). As a career, I believe that it will be worth it, however for if only looking at the short term then it be more worthwhile to consider alternatives.
I wish everyone the best, and hope that it provided an honest information about HK without any gloom or exaggeration. Remember that Hong Kong is a different part of the world.

Please feel free to pm me or correct me if the information is not correct.

Cheers
-NB

[herrtob]

re: HK information provided by northbound207

i was born in hk, stayed here for 10+years, then for the past 9 years spent 2 years in north west England UK and 5 in Australia. Hence i can confirm what northbound207 said is quite accurate in terms of nominal figures and comparisons.

Good luck ppl

[coobg002]

Thanks a lot NB, thats really good information man. Its such a lifestyle change but it sounds very exciting

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

NB, thanks a lot! A lot of people here will appreciate your time and effort that you have put into this! Nicely done.
After all the negative reports, it's nice to hear some neutral report.

Thank you very much!

Blue skies, tailwinds, happy landings,

NFAM

[SW1]

Anyone going for Flight Grading on the 29th October? Would be nice to know some more details regarding what will the advanced entry FG will entail.

[Mouwaa]

Northbound,

good post, though it is worth mentioning (as you did) that most westerners will still generally eat like westerners as a day-in-day-out staple (ie a lot of meat, and not so much rice and noodles). Just like Chinese people all over the world eat chinese food; in fact I don't think I have every been to a town without a chinese restaurant (or 10). It is not a habit that will change, or people want to change easily, it is just what you are used to.

On that note it is worth mentioning that average steak at the supermarket (not prime, but not stewing steak either) will set you back around US$40-50/kg. Even minced/ground beef will cost US$12-15/kg, so it is quite a bit more expensive than what you might be used to.

[crwjerk]

Northbound, A good Effort. One comment

As an expat going to Hong Kong for Cathay Pacific, one should be ready to live in much smaller sized accomodations (450 - 600 sq ft). But please be aware that this is not because of the low pay as a Second Officer, but rather just the way Hong Kong is and that the average middle class family of 4 will never live in a house that is bigger than 700 sq ft.All current S/O's ( except Cadets ) receive Housing allowance. They have been able to afford comfortable and much larger accommodation than 450-600 sq ft. Admittedly, not as large as they are entitled to after a couple of years. New cadets will not. They will only be able to afford 450-600 sq ft flats, and that WILL be as a result of the low pay as a Second officer.

[DDobinpilot]

So had the Stage 1 interviews coming upto 2 weeks ago now and still haven't heard anything back! :ugh: they assured me I would hear back within 7 - 10 days. After 10 days I thought okay maybe it's working days :p... I am going with the mentality that I probably haven't got it anyway at this early stage am fairly easygoing either way, but anyone else get this problem at all?

[orangeboy]

don't worry Ddobin, they will sometimes take longer to get back to you, so don't fret till you get the email - some people wait over a month before hearing anything.:ok:

[bankshk]

it took them over a month to get back to me, only after i emailed asking if there was any updates, the initial response was that i have been shortlisted for the 2/3rd round however, they cannot give me a interview date..
only just received the email today;

anyone doing 2+3rd stage on the 15/16 November?

[northbound207]

Hey All

Crwjerk's fact is correct, and part of my point was to convey to everyone that living accomodations will be much smaller than they are used to, as money for property in HK does not buy the same amount it would in another country - my example of the lower class family in toronto is one instance. It is important for any prospective cadet to understand and realize that this will affect their lifestyles, as having a spacious accomodation maybe important to some, and perhaps less so for others. I only ask that we also understand that the price of property affects everyone and anyone of any profession, including doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. And to consider what is important to you, The salary for this position is what it is, for some it maybe too low, for some it maybe more than enough depending on which part of the world you are from and what kind of lifestyle you are used, will dictate how you ultimately perceive it.

Simply said, if you want to live in a 1000 sq ft condo, to supporting your spouse and children, with the lifestyle you are used to at home (driving in a sedan everywhere, eating imported foods) it will be hard for an expat SO even with the housing allowance, and unrealistic for cadets without it. The same salary however, will definitely afford you that elsewhere (definitely able in Canada, Thailand is another). This is not to say that the cadet with a family should give up because they wouldn't be able to support their family, but rather to warn candidates from western countries (again particularly Canada, and US) that the standards of living are going to be difficult at the beginning of this career, once again because of the housing allowance. But with the allowance or not, the standards of living simply are not the same, and thus cannot be compared.

My final note with that regards is that Hong Kong is not for everybody, even though there is something for everybody. This has been true even since the A scale existed for pilots, where as for some the money offered by the A scale was enough to offset the the price of leaving home, but others whom value being at home or were not at all attracted to the lifestyle in Hong Kong, then no amount of money would have lured them to make the move.

Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into, money being one factor, but it is not the only factor that affects lifestyle. I've decided to throw in some links as to further understand the real costs of living in Hong Kong. To know if Hong kong is for you or not is important, because the career at cathay is only worth it if it is a career and not a stepping stone.

Some of these links may be useful to provide a look into what you're monthly expenses may be. Once again, good luck to everyone who is pursuing this program, and all the best to those that decide that this is not for them.

All These links can be found with a simply google search (i.e. gym membership cost in HK). The only thing that does not have it's own website are groceries. I don't believe it is possible to understand the culture and setup of street groceries markets other than to actually see them. However park n shop is one of the largest chain supermarkets in HK and offer some insight into the price of food (http://www1.parknshop.com).
On a funny note with regards to groceries: pork is another meat that is relatively much more expensive than surrounding countries (again Canada, US). It was actually worthwhile when my grandmother would go back to our little town in mainland China to buy a large bag of pork feet (a chinese cuisine) cook and preserve them and bring it back to Hong Kong so she didn't have to pay Hong Kong prices... again just a different standard of living.


Here are just some links to start you off on your way.:
Internet, television, and telecommunications
?????? (http://www.pccw.com)
<- pccw is one of Hong Kong's largest provider of broadband and telecommunications, there are many many others at competition makes prices cheap. But pccw is a good start to figuring out your monthly tv/internet/phone bill

www.fortress.com.hk (http://www.fortress.com.hk)
<-fortress is a large chain franchaise for electronic and home appliance products, again there are MANY smaller dealers that you may find cheaper deals. As some apartments may not be furnished, this would be a good site to look into getting started in basic home appliances

To understand a bit more about the utilities and basic services in HK such as gas,electricity,water expatfocus.com has several links:
Hong Kong - Utilities (Electricity, Gas, Water) (http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-hong-kong-utilities)


and finally here is another excellent post from a internet blogger with regards to living in HK as an expat.
Cost of Living in Hong Kong (http://www.orientexpat.com/hong-kong-expat/costs)

[Mouwaa]

and to add to that, your electricity bill will be quite expensive. This mainly due to the hot and humid climate here, which means the will be at least one A/C unit running 24/7 (living room in the day and bedroom at night) for at least 6 months of the year. My last bill was $2500 for 2 months for a small flat. It also gets surprisingly cold in January and February (considering we are in tropical latitudes) and the apartments are concrete and glass, so no insulation; which results in heaters being on in the winter. The last couple of years the govt has subsidised, but unfortunately that has finished.

[DDobinpilot]

Anyone know whether Cathay have a min or max BMI? Or min or max weight? Obviously your height has to be above 160cm just wondered if anyone knew about their BMI requirements? If they have any?

[ap_797]

Hey,
i'm guessing the BMI requirements, at least at this stage, would be that you lie within what is considered underwieght and overweight according to BMI calculations, with a more thorough grilling at the real medical.

Does this sound about right to those who have already been through the process?

AP_797

[holdmetight]

i'm guessing the BMI requirements, at least at this stage, would be that you lie within what is considered underwieght and overweight according to BMI calculations, with a more thorough grilling at the real medical.

During the selection process you do one comprehensive company medical in which they will assess your physical condition, and until then they probably don't look at any medical-related items. You will be grilled in the company medical about almost everything related to your health.

hey can anyone tell me a bit more about the numeracy test in stage two...how hard is it? what sort of questions? what should be studied beforehand etc.?

The questions are not overly difficult but the test will be challenging due to the limited time available. The actual details of this test have already been covered before in this thread, so check it out. If you are keen on preparing for the numeracy test, just do some practice questions that you can find in typical numerical assessments for graduate management jobs.

[DDobinpilot]

Well I sent them an email because its been 2 weeks or so since my Stage 1 interviews and still no word of a result from them and got a response back saying they could not tell me as they still have to do a medical screening which is part of the stage 1 process so I assume that is the bit of paper with the 6 questions on it.

[holdmetight]

Anyone heading down to Adelaide for Flight Grading beginning on 13th November?

[Malov]

Well I got rejected after Stage 1 day in Hong Kong.

Do some of you guys believe they would reject people to see if they would reapply another time? There were experienced guys as well who got rejected, and they thought they did pretty good on Stage 1?

I will however reapply later, continue improving myself and complete my PPL and start ATPL theory shortly.

I now understand that I probably did not meet the high standards they are looking for. Somehow I will have to prove to them that I will be worth another round :)

And another thing, I did a lot of reading but perhaps on the wrong things, read up on my aircraft (c172) and on the company (everything to the price of the stocks last year!) and got cornered anyway :) (they did not ask one question about cx or the aicraft)

They will find a way .. :)

However I enjoyed the experience very much and wish all the others the best of luck!

[holdmetight]

Do some of you guys believe they would reject people to see if they would reapply another time?

You normally get another shot at the cadetship if you failed one attempt, so I would think that a rejection naturally means that you did not make the grade this time, but you are welcome to try again. I would advise you to prepare substantially for your re-application though; the more the better. It is only logical, given the sheer number of fresh applications received every year. Hope this makes sense.

And another thing, I did a lot of reading but perhaps on the wrong things, read up on my aircraft (c172) and on the company (everything to the price of the stocks last year!) and got cornered anyway http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/smile.gif (they did not ask one question about cx or the aicraft)


I don't think you read up on the wrong things at all... though if those are the only things you studied then I would think you didn't read enough!

Good luck with your re-application. It took me 2 years of preparation leading up to my second attempt at the CX cadetship... try hard, and never give up! :ok:

[ap_797]

Hi Malov,
sorry to hear you didnt make it to stage 2, i'm not sure how they chose people as its a pretty difficult assessment with both experienced and non experienced candidates being assessed on pretty much the same thing.

When did you have your assessment for stage 1? I ask this as I know that London stage 1 results havent been released yet so it might give an indication of what kind of timescale to expect? Has anyone heard from CX re. london assessments?

Good luck with your future app and flying!

[Malov]

holdmetight: I understand what you are saying and I also know very well now what my weak areas are and what I should be focusing on:)

ap_797: I got the mail before two weeks had passed.

Also, if I should complete the ATPL theory before my next attempt then I would assume the interview questions will be of a totally different character as well - so I will only have to study harder and use all of my time ahead to really nail the interview the next time around. And try to get a good pass grade on all the subjects!

If I should be rejected the second time I will only be well prepared for any other interviews with other airlines don`t you think? :)

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

Malov, what did they ask you on stage I?
I wasn't questioned about the aircrafts I've flown in the first interview - I think they will grill me on that in my next stage-, but they did ask a lot CX-related questions. CX-related questions, JKI booklet questions, and some ATPL stuff.

[Malov]

Malov, what did they ask you on stage I?
I wasn't questioned about the aircrafts I've flown in the first interview - I think they will grill me on that in my next stage-, but they did ask a lot CX-related questions. CX-related questions, JKI booklet questions, and some ATPL stuff.

I am under the impression now after having had some thoughts on the interview that I read on things I thought I was supposed to know and maybe was asked, rather than the things I should have known and read through :)

They asked me everything, as soon as you have answered a question they fire one right back - and if I post some of the questions here I will only mislead others and I don`t want to do that. Just know the stuff thoroughly, especially the JKI and any CX-related stuff of course ;)

[coobg002]

Hey Mavlov, yeh I had my interview 2 weeks ago and havent heard a thing. So they dont contact you via phone?

[Malov]

coobg002 (http://www.pprune.org/members/340563-coobg002), no I got it through mail only

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

coobg002, after stage I you will get a mail saying that you passed or failed. If you passed they will call you a couple days/weeks later, asking of date X and Y suit you to come to HK. Than you'll receive another mail which will give you more explanation, and they send the tickets to HK via fedex.

[coobg002]

ah touche, cheers guys

[dronehawk]

Hi.Its almost year end. It has been almost 8 months since CX held their interviews in Africa(Jo'burg South Africa to be exact).I applied in June this Year but no feedback yet though Im still patient.I was wondering if it's possible for CX to have more overseas assesments before end year.

[orangeboy]

hey drone, i don't suspect anyone here knows Cathay's international assessment schedule - unless they have been invited and are so kind to post on here details about it. No one really knows what their process or criteria is for selecting the next area for interviews. So they may or may not conduct anymore international interviews by year end.

you could always email Cathay and ask, but they probably won't say anyway.

it really is just a matter of waiting patiently and hopefully that email turns up one day! :ok:

[Smell the Coffee]

CX tend to wait until they have a meaningful number of potential interview candidates in a given geographical location before sending out the invites for people outside HK.

As for which questions get asked at which interviews - there is definitely no set pattern here - in my experience, the interviewer will tend to basically make up the questions as they go along (although they probably have a basic idea of the areas they want to probe before you walk in).

They may create a new question based on the answer you gave to a previous question ... no one interview seems to be the same.

[greentea84]

Hey guys, can someone PM me the email address for Cathay? I cant seem to find it on their website.

I applied back in Jan but havnt heard anything back yet.

Cheers!

[orangeboy]

greentea, the email to use is the one they used to inform you that they have recieved your application - back when you first applied and a return confirmation email was sent :ok:


roxy chick, as far as i am aware, normally via email, but if you're in Hong Kong, they may ring you.

[ap_797]

Hey guys,
I was wondeirng if anyone could shed some light on how detailed the flight planning excercise actually is and what level of prep is required for lower hours pilots? Do you get a calculator and do you need to do know how to convert units during the test eg. from mph to nm per hour etc?

I understand that during the excercise each candidate is left to work out the math involved by themselves, what sort of math does this encompass?

thanks all!

[holdmetight]

The flight planning exercise is actually quite easy and candidates with no experience or knowledge in flight planning can do just as well as a jet pilot with an ATPL. Those with flying experience will find that the exercise does not resemble a real-life flight planning exercise in any way. So leave everything outside the door when you walk in, and enjoy yourself during the exercise.

I am not going to divulge too much information on the actual exercise itself. What I can say is that you will work with another candidate in finding the best route for a flight from A to B. You will be given a list of factors and constraints that will affect your calculations, such as flight times, expected fuel burn-off, turn-around times at tech stop, etc. To arrive at a reasonable answer you will need to do calculations on speed, distance, time and fuel burn. You will need to take ALL the given constraints into consideration, and come up with a conclusion. Pencils and paper will be provided on top of the actual materials required, and you will not be allowed to use a calculator - though it won't matter, the calculations are simple enough to be done in your head and on paper if necessary. You might need to convert units at times (I don't really remember) but if that is the case, the conversion factors should be provided in the materials.

During the exercise you are expected to work together with your team mates. Think of yourselves as airline crew; you might do your calculations independently but when you present your answers you do so as a team. Just keep a cool head, stay focused, and make sure of your answers before presenting them. Good luck! :ok:

[ap_797]

Thankyou very much for that insightful post holdmetight, it's certainly helped to ease some of the concerns I had!

[DDobinpilot]

Can anyone confirm if I am correct as to what is involved with Stage 2/3? From anyone who has done this stage fairly recently? As I don't think they do the Wombat test anymore do they as far as I was aware this is what it involves :

Stage 2.

Interview
Maths Test
Flight planning ex (Pairs)
Group Ex
Some kind of personality test with like a what excites you more type of questions? Such as a well made vase or a gun or something

And Stage 3 :

Medical
Management interview
English test

Am I missing anything?

[ap_797]

Hi all,
Can anyone confirm what the answer to the following question is:

If you were flying at 480kts, how long does it take to travel 18miles?

I'm getting 0.038hours as my answer which equates to 2.28mins, but i'm thinking this seems wrong for some reason :/

Is there a quick way to work this out without using a calculator or pen and paper?

[holdmetight]

DDobinpilot

What does your Stage 2 invitation e-mail say? I don't think they have stopped using the Wombat test, though apart from that your projected Stage 2 itinerary is pretty accurate. Stage 3 also includes uniform measurement and a briefing, though these are not assessments.

ap_797

480kts = 480nm in 60 minutes = 8nm per minute

Therefore it takes approximately 2.25 minutes to fly 18 miles if your GS is 480kts. As always, use an estimate to make life easier for yourself, so you could probably use 2 to 2.5 minutes as your answer.

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

Thx for the flight planning info holdmetight. I'm doing stage II and III next week - 10 and 11 Nov. - and I wasn't sure what to expect from the FP exercises.

Somebody doing stage II and III the 10th and the 11th?

Blue skies,

NFAM

[DDobinpilot]

Holdmetight, so far I have just got the automated email saying that I have been shortlisted for stage 2 so hopefully will get the invite soon. Also nightflights does it say in your email that there will be a wombat test?

[ap_797]

Cheers Holdmetight!

DDobinpilot isn't there also the hand eye aptitude tests to include to that list? (unless you already did this at stage 1?)

NightFlightsAreMagic good luck with stage 2! It'd be great if you were able to confirm the list DDobinpilot posted.

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

This is what I got:
- Personality Test (Computer-based/Time allowed: 45mins)
- Numeracy Test (Computer-based/Time allowed: 30mins)
- Aptitude test (Computer bases/ Time allowed: 75mins)
- Group Exercise (60mins)
- Flight Planning Exercise (90mins)
- Panel Interview (General and Technical/ 60mins)
- Medical
The mail only mentions one aptitude test and one interview, but I don't know if I will get two aptitudes test -the normal one + the wombat test- and two interviews.

It doesn't say anything about an English test either...Do you guys think I will not get the English test bc they do not mention it, or will I get it even if it's not on the list...It don't really matters actually, I'm not scared for the English test.

Holdmetight, what did your mail said when you got the invitation for stage II? Was it the same? Or did they mention the wombat, the second and third interview and the English test?
Tailwinds,
NFAM

[404 Titan]

ap_797

I’m not sure if it was a typo by you but 18 miles = 15.6415 nautical miles. At 480 kts it would take 2 minutes to travel that distance.

[holdmetight]

You wil get one "aptitude" test - either the Wombat Test or the traditional Cathay aptitude test. It depends on which of these you did in Stage 1; if you did the Wombat in Stage 1 you will get the traditional test, and vice versa. There is only one panel interview, it will last around an hour in which general and technical questions will be asked.

The English Test will come in Stage 3, which should be held on the day following Stage 2. You are invited to Stage 3 only if you pass Stage 2.

My Stage 2 invitation e-mail was a little different from yours. It specifically said I would do the Wombat in Stage 2, and did not include the medical. The e-mail mentioned nothing about the Stage 3 schedule, so naturally it said nothing about the ICAO English test or Management interview either. You should only get a tentative Stage 3 schedule on the day before you do Stage 2.

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

Aah, oki, I thought the medical was also for stage III. Thanks for clearing that up holdmetight.

I didn't do any aptitude test in stage I. Not the traditional one, and not the wombat test. I'll just see what they'll give me.

Anyway, it seems, I'll have a very very busy day, especially if they squeeze the medical in stage II.

Thumbs up,

NFAM

[nmcpilot]

Reading these posts I think the Pilot Aptitude Test (75mins) is different to the Wombat test as the Wombat test is usually allocated as 90mins and they usually say on the brief they email you before hand that you will be doing the Wombat Pilot Aptitude Test (90mins) Anyone know the differences at all??

Also has anyone posted up a good link for a place to practice for the numeracy tests, obviously for Stage 1 people reccommended the John Ravens booklets for the Shape matrices, it is just difficult to know what to expect, also you don't know how much weight is put on each particular test! I passed Stage 1 but am yet to receive any information on when my Stage 2 will be.

[nmcpilot]

You will struggle to find them anywhere in my experience.

[holdmetight]

Reading these posts I think the Pilot Aptitude Test (75mins) is different to the Wombat test as the Wombat test is usually allocated as 90mins and they usually say on the brief they email you before hand that you will be doing the Wombat Pilot Aptitude Test (90mins) Anyone know the differences at all??

The PAT and the Wombat Test are totally seperate things and are not similar. The PAT focuses on the physical side of things, such as hand-eye coordination and reaction time etc. The Wombat Test has an element of hand-eye coordination as well, but its main focus is on multi-tasking ability.

[nmcpilot]

Thanks holdmetight. Just wanted to check I am right on the engines CX use.. For their 747's I believe it's the RR Rb211, for the 777-300er I know are GE90's and with the 777-300 it's the Trent 800 is it the same for the 777-200's? Do their A340's use CFM56's? The one I am not certain on at all is the A330? Any help?

[holdmetight]

B777-200: Rolls Royce Trent 872
B777-300: Rolls Royce Trent 892
Airbus A330-300: Rolls Royce Trent 700
Airbus A340-300: CFM56

[nmcpilot]

Again holdmetight thanks =)

[G-VSSH]

Is anyone attending the initial interview at HKG on 7th Dec?

[ap_797]

hi all,
I have a quick question regarding stage 2/3.... is there a quota as to how many progress through at these stages, i.e. are you in competition with everyone else there on the day or is it a case of whoever makes the grade will progress further in the assessment process (so technically everyone that attends [if good enough] could be sent to adelaide)?

thanks!

[herrtob]

ap 797

there's no competition, if you go in with a mindset of competing, don;t bother. stage 2 and 3 consist of group exercises and cooperation and teamwork is key.

[SloppyJoe]

They always say that everyone, if good enough, will get a place on the cadet course and that there are enough slots available for all at the interview if good enough. In my honest opinion this is BS as of course you are in competition, there have been over 25,000 applicants and you have to be better than 99% of them. But if say all 20 at an interview were good enough, yes, all would get through. If that kept happening the bar would be raised. The whole point of interviews is to find the best applicant.

Have to disagree with the above post. There is a difference between competitive and being bad in group activities due to attitude. Life is a competition, the more people who want something that has limited availability the harder it is to get. If you leave the interview stages thinking I could not have done anything else to prepare then dont beat yourself up about it, somethings you cant really prepare for and some people are bad at those things. Its just the way life is. But yes it is a competition between all the applicants for those limited spaces, how anyone can think otherwise is beyond me.

[holdmetight]

is there a quota as to how many progress through at these stages

IMHO that is the last thing you should be worrying about. Focus on getting the job done to the best of your ability, and let Cathay figure out the rest. Trust me, you have more than enough to do already.

[holdmetight]

Anyone heading to Adelaide for flight grading starting on the 13th? I'm starting to get jittery, grading should just be around the corner and I still haven't received anything concrete to confirm that I'll be heading down. :ouch:

[DDobinpilot]

Are you doing the flight grading for the 61 week course or are you in the 250+ hour 32week course and doing the flight grading for that? As they are a tad different. I get the feeling they have a fair few courses starting at the moment due to the changing economic climate and a fair few pilots moving on and are fairly busy because alot of people seem to be getting delayed..

[holdmetight]

I'm going for the 61 week course.

[Eugene Alexandre]

hi all, i'm new here.. this is my first post.. hope can get some info from you guys ^^

[suntorytimo]

G-VSSH, how long ago did you send off your application? Thanks

[jdurbridge]

Hey i just got an email from CX for the 7th of december saying that we are going to be doing a;

Reasoning test
JKI Test
Personality Test
Wombat Test
and have an interview

Has anyone else got the same list? Has it always been everything in one go? I recently just did the KA initial test and it wasn't as "full on" but instead was just English grammar, listening parts 1 & 2 followed by numerics.

[takamasa]

Dear all

I got a question ,seeking opinions from u guys. any info is appreciated.

I accepted to attend the interview but due to personal reason, i will not able to make it, is it possible to send them an email to request a change?

thanks all for the opinion.

cheers

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

It's always possible to mail and ask them to reschedule you. Are you doing stage I or stage II/III?

If you're doing stage I, and it's not in HK, than be aware that it can take a very long time - sometimes a year - before they do the initial interview in your country again.

[takamasa]

Re:

i suppose to attend the stage 2 and 3 few weeks later

is it possible to reschedule ?

thanks,cheers

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

I don't think it will be a big problem. They told me at stage I, that if I can't attend stage II and III on the dates they propose, they would reschedule me later. The best thing what you can do, is mail them and ask. Then you'll know for sure.

[takamasa]

re:

thanks,mate

i just sent an email, hopefully it wont be too bad at all

thanks for ur help again.

[futureTP]

Hello everyone, I have been meaning to post my experience of stage 1 but just have not got round to it until now (been lazy!).

First of all I want to thank all the guys that have posted their experience of the various stages for the cadet scheme which is very helpful, I read through all the posts and would highly recommend to anyone that has an interview coming up to do so, it can take a while though and don’t take every post so seriously!

Given that everyone has shared their experience so openly it’s only right that I share mine, most of the stuff has already been mentioned but each stage 1 format varies depending on your location and which country you do it in.

My post is to highlight a bit more info about the London assessments, which are held at Cathay Pacific office in Hammersmith, the day starts off by you signing in at the front reception and then making your way to CX offices on the first floor.

As you wait in the waiting area you will be given your itinerary for the day by one of the recruitment team, all the candidates have a separate one and they generally try to keep you separated for obvious reasons…

I was sent an email previously telling me what to expect on the day 1) JKI test, 2) Raven’s aptitude tests, 3) Personal and technical interview and 4) Personality test.

See previous posts about personality and aptitude tests. JKI test is fairly straight forward if you have been through the booklet, typical question from what I can remember…

·What is pitot pressure? (static + dynamic)
·Jet engine moves a Large amount of air at High speeds…
·Piston engine moves a small amount of air at low speeds…
·Rotation of the earth is around what axis?
·Direction of the earth rotation?
·If a constant speed is maintained and you increase the angle of attack what happens to lift?
·What happens to the pressure and velocity of air as it flows over the wing?
·What are the four forces acting in flight?
·The atmosphere is made up of which gases?
·Tropopause is a layer between which two spheres?

It’s quite easy if you have read the JKI booklet towards the end 5 or 6 questions are about the company so bit of searching needed… questions like who is majority share holder for CX and which aircraft they presently fly, they throw in the 747-300 to confuse you if your not a spotter know the difference!

Personality and Technical interview…

Bit of advice remember what you wrote in your initial application because they take so long to get back to you with an interview you may forget what you wrote!! I copied and saved mine and had a read before the interview as I had raved on about my brilliant customer skills and guess what I got asked, so ……. Tell me about these excellent customer skills how will you use them for CX and as a pilot? errrrr you get the picture!

Ill concentrate a bit more on the technical questions as some of them caught me off guard… if anyone can help with the ones marked ‘????’ feel free to post your reply!!

·What have you been doing recently?
·Why have you applied to CX?
·What do you know about CX?
·How many destinations do we fly to? This keeps changing so keep an eye out!
·What do you know about HK?
·Have you been to HK?
·What is the population of HK?
·Role of a second officer and what aircraft they flew…
·Name 3 destinations we fly to in Aus?
·Do you know anyone that works for CX?
·What makes a good pilot? so I start saying blah… so do you have those qualities?
·What are your strengths and weaknesses?
·What ethnicity is the majority of the population in HK? And so on…

Now technical…

·Explain how lift is generated?
·What aircraft is that… points to model A340-300 and how many do we have?
·What is induced drag and how is it formed?
·Why have swept wings advantages and disadvantages?
·What engines do we use on different aircraft?
·Why do we use the type of engines on 747 what are they and benefits?
·What's a bypass ratio? What is it for a 777?
·Tell me about winglets and why we use them?
·Does the 777 have winglets?
·Why doesn’t the 777 have winglets?
·You say the 777ER have raked wingtips what are they?
·What wx systems is HK effected by?
·What equipment do we have on-board the aircraft to detect wx?
·During which part of flight is lift the greatest?????Dodgy one!
·What is windshear?
·What is predictive windshear and how does it work????
·What windshear detection methods are there at HK airport?
·What is a cost index and how does it work????
·Describe and tell me the difference between Max and Long range cruise????
·What is a WAT limit????
·What is CAT?
·What is a Jet stream and how is it formed?

This is all I can think of atm… if I remember more ill post on here it’s turned out to be a long post!

I have heard that the next short course is provisionally due to start in Jan 2011 and the next long one in March 2011 is anyone on either of these courses?? And finally good luck to all the guys that have their stage 2/3 coming up and flight grading!:ok:

Happy landings...
FTP

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

I'm to busy preparing for my stage II and III for next week, but after it, I shall post my experiences for stage I, II and III.

There must be different JKI tests, because some of the questions you mention, I did not get.

During which part is lift the greatest:
Normally in take off.
The amount of pressure difference determines the amount of lift produced.
The pressure difference is affected by the functions of lift, which are, configuration (flaps), air density, angle of attack (which is highest at take off), and the speed of airflow over the wing.

Predictive windshear and how does it work:
Normal the windshear is only detected when the aircraft flies into the windshear. Then the pilot will get visual and an aural warning. The predictive ones detects the windshear ahead of the plane. How it's working precisely I forgot, but it has something to do with the wx radar and the doppler frequency shift.

Cost index (CI):
performance management function that optimizes speed for minimum cost. Jet performance computers determining the best speed at which to travel in order to minimize the total operating cost of the flight.

MRC vs. LRC:
LRC is 99% of the MRC. Speeds are very unstable at the MRC. So you want to fly a bit faster. 1% of the range is used to fly at a higher speed.

WAT:
Weight, Altitude, Temperature conditions limits the aircrafts MTOW and MLW.
At take off you need to have enough power so that you meet the required second segment climb gradient or the missed approach climb gradient, with one engine inop.

Hope this helped :ok:

Blue skies, tailwinds and happy landings,

NFAM

[404 Titan]

NightFlightsAreMagic

Be very careful telling an aeronautical engineer or the interviewers that flaps increase lift. They don’t. To be precise they increase the lifting ability of a wing at lower speeds.

Generally lift is the greatest in a turn, not at take-off.

Predictive windshear works through the aircraft’s wx radar using Doppler shift, i.e. how much a particle moves over a given time. If they exceed a predetermined set of parameters, a visual and aural warning (WINDSHEAR AHEAD) is triggered in the cockpit.

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

After thinking about it and opening my POF ATPL book this time, I agree with you that lift is greatest in a turn. The other book I uses, clearly answers 'lift is greatest at take off '. However, it is known that this book -ACE the technical pilot interview - contains some errors.

Thanks for pointing this out.

Blue skies,

[SloppyJoe]

Sorry totally off topic but just had to say, I bet you change your pprune name if you get the job of an SO at CX :-)

[initial-vin]

Hey u guys, is my 1st post here, well 1st of all thx for all the information and experience u guys have shared in this post

Well i live in sydney, im an undergraduate doing accounting at a crappy uni, is my first year, my marks are reasonable. However I have decided to become a pilot, im sick of writing these few thousand words essays and reports for the rest of my life...

Looking at all my local options, I could either do a uni course on aviation(takes 3 years) with cost 100k++, or do a CPL tafe course and find a flying school to fly in. Then I looked at the Cathay Pacfic's site and thier Cadet Pilot Programme, cause I was grow up in HK, and my family is living there, I can speak cando well, but read only a little, it would be awesome to do a program there.

I have Zero flying experiences and no knowledge on anything. But i did study Physics and Mathematics in highschool till Yr12, marks are average. From the site it says "You need not have previous flying experience, but you should be ambitious and enthusiastic." But having some Hours or even some of u guys have got ur PPL or CPL already, will have a better chance to get in right?

Looking at the requirements from the site, one thing bothers me, HK university entrance qualifications or can be in Australia too?

I'm prepairing for my Application now, but I would like some advice by u guys out there who have got selected to interview.

Should I do some flying hours b4 applying? or even finish CPL first?
What is the due date for applying if I want to make it to the Dec HK interview, that i read someone was going? (I know if lucky it might take months for a reply form them) =/
Can I apply again after the reject me the 1st time?( thats why i dont want to waste my 1st chance) :(
I wear glasses, but it will help me get to 20/20 version, anyone in stage I seen anyone with glasses? hope they wont mind.

thanks in advance for the help, I hope I can have the same dream u guys do, to become a airline pilot. For you guys doing the interviews and stages, I wish u the best of luck ^^

[NightFlightsAreMagic]

SloppyJoe,

Your last comment was for me, right?
Lol, :cool:
Maybe after being a SO for some time at CX, I will change it indeed. ;)
However at the moment, I love night flights. I find them much more relaxed. Silence on the radio, you get more directs, less holdings, and than the view!!! Little lights everywhere, and if you are lucky a very spectacular sunrise. Love it.

Tailwinds,

NFAM

[Eugene Alexandre]

I have a question. I'm a tourism student without any aviation knowledge or background.. In the meantime, I wanted to be a pilot as well... R there any percentage for me to get accepted by CX cadet pilot programme?

[SloppyJoe]

initial-vin

The closing date for the Dec HKG interviews I think was around 8 months ago or there abouts. Read this whole thread, get a feel for what is expected. Having grown up in HKG and having family here is a big plus. You do not need any previous flying experience. If you really want this and prepare you have a better shot than most due to your HKG links as they will see it as you being more likely to stick with it rather than leave when you have some experience. Apply, you have enough time to prepare, prepare as best as you can but dont put your life on hold, start whatever it is you are planning to.

NFAM,

Yes directed at you. Guess you have never flown in India. But yes it is pretty, and yeap sunrises are nice. Beds are nicer though. :-)

Eugene,

25000+ applicants and I think there have been 150 cadets or there abouts so you can work out the percentage. As you are asking a strange question and have no understanding of the scheme maybe divide that percentage by 10.

[Chase3139]

FutureTP, NFAM,

Thank you very much for your information. It really helps.

Regarding the question about predictive windshear, in Hong Kong, windshear is either detected by radar or LIDAR. Radar works by calculating the Doppler frequency shift as NFAM has mentioned. The down side of using radar, however, is that it only works in rainy days (or when there is water droplets in the air).

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging system) works in a similar manner. The only difference is that it utilizes Laser detection so it still functions perfectly in the absence of water droplets. I am not sure if this system is used worldwide or only in places like Hong Kong where windshear is a very common phenomenon.

Correct me if I am wrong.

Chase

[orangeboy]

hey initial vin,

no flying experience is necessary, and even having experience doesn't guarantee you an interview, it all depends on whether or not you can convince them you are a suitable candidate in your application - so do think about what you want to tell them carefully before sending it off :)


however that said, imo i believe having some flying experience, even if it is only a few hours, is better than none for 3 reasons

firstly, it will be easier to convince them you are serious about a career as a pilot

secondly, you will learn so much more about flying in general

and thirdyly, getting flying lessons should not be seen as something you should do, but something you must do if you are trully set on becoming a pilot

obviously it will depend on a person's circumstances whether or not they can get any flying under their belt such as location and their financial situation, but i think you get what i am trying to say.

But most importantly, don't base your entire career on this program. if you really want to be a pilot, then you will go and be a pilot regardless of if you make it into the program or not. This brings me to my next point, make sure you have a clear idea of how you intend on becoming a pilot because they will ask you this in the interview, if you just say the cadet programme, then it doesn't really show any true enthusiasm to becoming a pilot.

since you're in Sydney, i would go to bankstown aiport and talk to a few flying schools and get a feel for what it takes and roughly costs and the timeline involved in becoming a commercial pilot - take a trial introductory flight and see if flying really is for you - does it live upto your expectations etc. it should cost about 100-150 max for this.

anyways goodluck, the best place to start reading up on planes in general is to use the flying training manuals and Basic Aeronautical Knowledge books that most people use when they start actual flight training, then move on from there. :ok:

oh, and its no problems if you wear glasses, so long as you don't have something wrong with your eye, not everyone has 20/20 vision :O

[ylfoo1983]

Hi Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is my post in the forum and I must admit it is helpful to any potential pilot wannabes. Thank you for all the constructive posts. Keep it rolling!

[404 Titan]

Chase3139

The question relates to the predictive windshear which is in the aircraft not the windshear detection system at HKIA. Predictive windshear systems in aircraft use Doppler through the aircrafts wx radar, not laser. The windshear detection at HKIA also uses Doppler. One of the sights is near my home.

[coobg002]

ay guys, did 1st stage (adelaide) 3 weeks ago and all ive heard is from their medical staff asking for a full doctors report on my acnea (3 days ago). Any one got any idea from this information whether I am likely to make it to 2nd stage if i havent heard anything yet?

[Chase3139]

404 Titan,

Thanks a lot for clarifying this. I misunderstood the question and I thought that it was asking about the windshear detection and prediction in the airport.

Thumbs up!

Chase

[futureTP]

@irok... I have a CPL but all the other guys with a PPL were asked similar questions. CX can and will ask you questions that are beyond your knowledge, so try and learn as much as you can cope with!

@coobg... the fact that CX are asking for more medical clarification is only a good thing some of the others have been asked the same, so I'm guessing you passed stage 1 and just need the medical side to give the green light!

@roxy... no medical at stage 1 just a questionnaire that you fill in!

FTP

[8-Ball]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post ever on a forum. I am currently residing in the UK and selected HK as my first preference when I applied in June of this year with the reason that:
1. I did not think I would be in the UK after my studies and,
2. That people who selected HK will be selected a bit sooner.

I have been a bit busy and have finally got upto speed with this forum and noticed that there were already invitations to stage 1 in HK and London (London was my 2nd preference) and was not invited to either locations.

Should I be worried??

I have also just recently changed my first preference to UK seeing as I will be staying here for quite some time.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Regards.

[orangeboy]

nope, thats normal, most people wait about 6-12 months before being invited for an interview, some lucky ones get an invite a few months after they apply, so stick tight study up and wait patiently until that magical invitation comes along :ok:

[Stallone]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post ever on a forum. I am currently residing in the UK and selected HK as my first preference when I applied in June of this year with the reason that:
1. I did not think I would be in the UK after my studies and,
2. That people who selected HK will be selected a bit sooner.

I have been a bit busy and have finally got upto speed with this forum and noticed that there were already invitations to stage 1 in HK and London (London was my 2nd preference) and was not invited to either locations.

Should I be worried??

I have also just recently changed my first preference to UK seeing as I will be staying here for quite some time.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Regards.

you can only wait..

i applied in April, also nothing..

[DDobinpilot]

Has anyone who recently got the thumbs up for Stage 1 gotten a time for Stage 2? As I am thinking we must be getting towards the time where I am unlikely to get my stage 2 done this year as it seems people tend to get about 4 - 6 weeks of notice for stage 2...

[8-Ball]

ya.. just being a bit ambitious I guess, they are probably trying to finish the massive backlog of applications they have. FIFO business

[futureTP]

Ddobin... I managed to find out that they dont have any dates for Nov or Dec they are all full expect early next year! I hope this helps...

FTP

[coobg002]

hey man let us know if u get a time for stage 2. I got the thumbs up yesterday and I got lots of stuff happening for example getting my commercial, travelling etc. Would like to know a roughly when Im gonna need to be free to go to hk

[DDobinpilot]

Thanks futuretp, I thought as much really. But will still prepare like Coob I had the acne thing also, which is what delayed my Stage 1 results, Tbh although they don't say it I think it is more an image thing for them rather than them being worried about some acne drug which for me was years ago!

[VFE]

Are they hiring pilots or models?

Actually, given the lack of housing allowance, the latter may help as a second source of income! ;)

VFE.

[SW1]

Not sure if this has happened to anyone before but here goes. I didnt make it at Flight Grading after the first 4 flights. I was on the advanced entry flight grading and believe I was not given a fair chance to show my potenttial. I was getting 3s and 4s throughout out of 5 and one 2 which was me having not the greatest of days in the circuit. Bit of a premature decison made by Cathay to be honest. Has anyone appealed against this kind of decision before? Thanks

[mtcaust]

SW1,

I've certainly heard of people failing flight grading before. There was someone on my FG who was sent home before the sims because he wasn't performing. This isn't to say you weren't hard done by, but perhaps they are holding a pretty high standard for advanced entry. I know the advanced entry guys and girls who got through were averaging 4.5 out of 5 the whole time. My advice would be to email Cathay, and make your self available for the ab initio course. Its only an extra 8 months, and the standards at flight grading will be lower

RL

[SW1]

Thanks a lot mtcaust. Ive already sent them an email. But I dont think they'll allow me to do the short course. This has happened before with some people but in my case theyve told me I cant do the short course due to my hours and licences. I would suggest anyone who has advanced entry grading or who has not flown for a while get a few hours before you go. I hadnt flown an SEP for a year and was majorly rusty. Not what you want to be before being assessed to CPL skills test tolerances.:ugh:

[NewZealand787]

Do Cathay give you the option of the ab-initio or the advanced course? Or do they decide?

Could someone who already has a CPL request the ab-initio course?

[orangeboy]

doesn't it depend on how many hours you have?

i thought i read someone saying earlier that under 250 hours you go and do the full course, and over 250 you do the short course.

sorry to hear about your result SW1 :uhoh:

[SW1]

Its 250 hours for the short course (6-8months) and the full 61 week course for less than that. It doesnt matter what kind of licence you have. There were people with CPL ME/IRs down there and some had PPLs grading for the long course. Its purely an hours thing that determines what course you will go on.

[coobg002]

hahahahaha its definitely not an image thing. U cant even see my acne, like i got one red dot and thats it. Its just that i like to take doxycyclin for it because it reduces the redness and itchiness etc. haha image... what a joke. Aviation is bloody scared of medicine, thats all. Im kinda annoyed if i missed the november/ december boat because i mentioned that i take a drug for acne but atleast it gives me more time to prep i guess which is good

[holdmetight]

make your self available for the ab initio course. Its only an extra 8 months, and the standards at flight grading will be lower

What makes you think that?

[mtcaust]

they have to be at a commercial standard from the get-go. the normal flight grading is a partly a test of your capacity to be taught. if you are a commercial pilot, you will be tested on your ability to fly at an expected standard onto which they can mould an airline pilot in a much shorter time frame. therefore the standard is higher. if SW1 did not meet these standards, then grading for the longer course will not be as stringent... a lower standard.

[orangeboy]

they would surely still base their assessment on how much actual flying experience you have?

for example, since 250 hours is the cutoff between the long course and short course, and there are 2 candidates, one with 30 hours experience and one with 220 hours, then wouldn't the 220 hour pilot still be expected to fly to a higher standard than the 30 hour pilot, regardless of if they both are going for the long course? So i would imagine that even though the 220 hour pilot might theoretically find it easier to do the assessment than the 30 hour pilot, they wouldn't be able to take it for granted since the flying assessors will still expect the 220 hour pilot to fly to a certain level, they surely couldn't fly to the standard of the 30 hour pilot and still expect to pass.

[tu144]

is there a best time to apply? I havnt applied yet. Am i too late? I am in US. Anyone else in same boat as me?

[supersubsonic]

Any people in Hong Kong for stage 2/3, 15 and 16 November?
Cheers

[SuperJet]

Hi all...

Applied ages ago, and haven't heard a thing so far. Its been about 4 months now.

Any ideas on what is going on? Do they not reply if youre not successful, or are they working their way round by country and haven't got to the UK yet?

Any advice or info would be helpful...

Thanks..

SJ

[orangeboy]

tu144, no specific time of the year to apply - just do it when you feel you are ready, you probably will have to wait for 6 or so months atleast to hear anything back for an interview though, goodluck:)

[tu144]

i see. Has it always taken this long? Is it better to put hk for interview preference or doesnt matter? Thanks for your response

[orangeboy]

With the opening of the cadetship to international applicants, you could imagine they'd just get flooded with a gazillion applications, so processing all those prospect cadets is not a short or quick process. 6 months seems to be about the norm, but its not unusual to wait upto nearly a year aswell. Some lucky people do managed to get called slightly earlier. HK probably will give you a better chance of getting an interview earlier, how much earlier? who knows, that and you will also have to be prepared to fork out for your plane ticket there for the first interview.

it really is just a matter of applying, then sitting and waiting patitently, in the mean time, take it as an opportunity to prepare.:ok:

Superjet, don't worry, 4 months is nothing! it can take upto a year before hearing anything back although its normally 6-12 months going by most folks experience on here.

[futureTP]

Mate sorry to hear that you did not pass the flight grading! Try and see if you can get a second shot at it, their is no harm in asking and try and go for the long course if they say no then at least you tried...

You say you have'nt flown an SEP for over a year? Can I ask if you've been flying recently on which a/c... and did you do the first four flights in the Grob what sort of stuff did you have to do and do they give you enough time to prepare or is it rushed??

I hope it works out for you!

FTP

[SW1]

I did the advanced entry flight grading which is meant to be 7 flights on the Tobago. The first flight was general handling, stalls, wing overs and unusual attitudes and turns ranging from medium to steep. You have to be up to standeard as youre only marked out of 5 and if the instructor has to verbally correct you on anything, your grade reduces immediately. Doesnt matter if you get mostly 4s, you get a 3 your overall grade for that flight is a 3. Flight 2 involved cicuits only, Flapless, Glide and short take offs and landing. The third part was instrument stuff conducted under the hood. The 4 th flight was a general nav around 180nm round trip with a precautionary search and landing conducted at a dirt strip. I can not comment on the advanced course, for people with over 30 hours but under 250 hours. All I know is that you do 3 flights on the Grob 115 and 3 simulator flights in the King Air sim.Theres plenty of info posted further back. Good luck everyone

[tu144]

Thanks for the info. Gonna try to read this giant thread from beginning to end.

[DDobinpilot]

SW1 were you given much of a brief before flight grading of what you were going to have to do? Sounds pretty harsh considering it's probably an unfamiliar aircraft type, were you expected to perform a wingover with no brief? I've never even done aerobatics so seems a bit harsh for them to expect that as that isn't really involved in the CPL skills test? Also flying in a country you might never have flown in before?

[SloppyJoe]

The flight grading will take into account unfamiliarity with aircraft and airspace, if you don't make the grade it is because you didn't make the grade. I am afraid those of you that get into CX have to get used to this, every two months as an SO you do a 4 hour sim session with 8 sections marked from 1 to 5 just like flight grading. You also have a line check every year with 17 sections marked from 1 to 5. Get lots of 3's or lower and go for a chat, keep doing it and you have extra training, keep doing it and you get fired. On upgrade to JFO from SO I think it is 40 line training sectors all marked from 1 to 5. Mess it up get another go then get fired. People who have been here for a while mess something up or upset the wrong guy and have extra line checks and sometimes get fired. Dont email saying you were unfairly treated, try again if you have the opportunity but emailing saying its not fair will just confirm their decision to fail you.

[nick185]

Hi all,

I applied last october (09) and got a interview in London in Feb (10), but rejected on the basis that I still had a year and a half of uni left ( I applied with the expectation my application would take a age to be processed).

Anyway a nice gent phoned me after the interview telling me to reapply at the same time next year - but their online system won't let me as apparently it hasnt been over 12 months (which it has). Any ideas how I can get incontact with them again - sadly I'v lost the phone number I got the phone call from.
Thank's:)

[CXGE90]

DDobinpilot:

Don't worry they won't get you to jump in the plane and start doing wingovers straight away, in fact you get plenty of briefs and study material. The instructors are happy to take as many questions as you have and they will demonstrate each manoeuvre in the airplane and let you have a practice before grading you.

I have a blog post with a little bit of information about flight grading, if anyone is interested PM me.

[crwjerk]

Don't worry, it's a single engine piston. A wing over in one is the same as a wing over in another! You won't need to do that manoeuvre in CX, so just make sure you don't scare the instructor and you'll be fine!!!!:ugh:

[blueflight76]

Hi All,
I'm awating word re: progression to flight grading. Generally all the info posted has been accurate - don't worry about exact questions in the interviews, it comes down to your background and current level re:hours etc. and what just pops into the interviewers head, i.e. if you are relatively young with low hours most of the questioning seems to be technical, if you are older and have the associated 'baggage' (like me) you will ge a mix of personal and technical (emphasis on the former) as they want to know you are a good investment.
Overstudy! I studied the specs for all the types flown by SO's particularly the B744 (as it's my favorite)...fuel sys., hydraulic sys., routes flown etc....guess how much I got asked re:744- nothin' apart from what type of a/c is that?.....a B744, good to know I had the answers ready though.
Generally they expect you to be passionate and have a sound knowledge of what you currently fly/ study and an at least basic working knowledge of a level above your current situation.

SW1 - Is the flight grading definately:
0-30 hours: Grob
30-250 hours: Grob and ?Sim
250-above: ALL in Tobago?
(as I have above 250 and trying to find info on whic a/c I will be in etc.)

[ozskygirl]

Hey all!

Was just wondering whether there's anyone out there that has been approved for Stage 1 or further and is in their late 20's or older- did they ask you for your high school records?

Just wondering because I'm 30 and since completing high school 12 years ago have finished a diploma.. I would assume they'd be more interested in the diploma than the high school marks?

Cheers in advance :p

[SW1]

Blueflight76

You will be on the Tobago. Brush up on evreything if you have not flown for a while.

[ozskygirl]

For anyone wanting to sample the Ravens, found this site with one round on it:

http://www.clipsite.com.ar/HOME/Salud/Test/Raven/

For anyone who doesn't know (as I didn't) nombre is name, and edad is age.

Not peeing in my own pocket at all, but I got 59/60, so assuming that this may be an easier one? Does anyone know of any other samples such as this on the web?

Blue ones :p

[SW1]

If anyone wants any help on the Ravens test, you can contact me. By the way the site you just showed is similar but not the real thing:ok:

[blueflight76]

Thanks SW1-better find a tobago...

ozyskygirl: yeah I'm 'older' and no my high school marks are'nt too flash but they still want them - but my more recent studies show what I'm really capable of when I'm not 17 and know nothing- wonder if that got me thru the first stage..

[mtcaust]

before my stage one mid year, i used this link (http://www.iqtest.dk/main.swf) to practice ravens matrices. its the exact same layout and exact same type of questions. don't waste your time trying to find the actual test as i haven't heard anyone in the last year or two who had found it. practice this and develop techniques and scans through the grid, and you will breeze the test

[Eddie757]

I applied during the summer of this year and got a call for the stage 1 interview in 3 weeks! I had HK as my preferred location and I followed up my application with a very detailed email expressing a deep interest in the job. (check out pilotcareercenter.com for CX contact info) ;). I have a degree Aeronautics and over 1000hrs total flight time through working as a flight instructor in the United States. My stage 1 was on Sept 20th and here is what I was asked:


- How did you find out about this program?
- Are you eligible for any other Cadet programs?
- Why didn't you apply to them?
- Why did you go to the USA to study?
- What would you do if we don't hire you?
- Why are you moving to Dubai?
- What got you interested in flying?
- How did you pay for your flight training and CFI/II?
-Why don't you just stay in the USA and work your way into a major airline there?

- Describe your experience in flight training?
- Describe your flight instructing experience? What challenges confronted you? How did you overcome them? What did you learn from them?
- How do you feel about being a student pilot again?
- What is the upgrade time for our second officers?
- Who is our director of flight operations?
- Who is our CEO?
- What is the composition of our fleet?
- What aircraft did we recently place on order for? How many?
- If you had the choice, which aircraft would you fly in our fleet? Why?
- What destinations do we fly to in Europe?
- How would your friends describe you?
- What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
- What do think of Hong Kong?
- How do you feel about moving to Hong Kong? Living expenses? Lifestyle?
- Where do we do our cadet pilot training? What school, airport, city, state, and country?
- How long will you be there? Is there a short course for candidates with experience?
- What training aircraft and simulators will you fly?
- What licenses/ ratings will you come out of there with? How many hours will you get?
- What job will the airline potentially offer you after cadet training?
- What are the duties of an SO?
- Why should we hire you?

Technical:
- Why have you logged PIC and Dual received during the same flight?
- What is International Standard Atmosphere?
- What is the weight of air?
- What are the weather patterns in Hong Kong?
- What are the ingredients of a Typhoon? What is the required water temperature and to what depth?
- What runways do we have at Hong Kong International? How long are they?
- What does CFR stand for when you see that sign at an airport?
- What is the usable fuel in a C152?
- Does a C152 have a utility category?
- What is the blue line speed on the Duchess?
- What is the critical engine on the Duchess?
- What aircraft is that parked outside? How did you figure that out?
- What engines do have on our B747's? B777's? How much thrust do these engines produce?
-Explain fowler flaps?
- What flaps are on a B747? What about leading edge high-lift devices?
- Have you done much actual instrument flying?
- What are the dimensions of a localizer?
- How many satellites in the GPS constellation? How many are needed to triangulate your position? What is their orbital altitude? Does GPS use CA or P?
- What do you teach a student on their first lesson?
- Teach me about spins as if you are teaching a student pilot?
- Can you spin a twin?

They asked me if I had any questions. I asked them about the short training course, logging time as an SO, payscales, taxes, benefits, and upgrade times.

Had my stage 2 interview a few days ago:

The HR questions were about the same except they REALLY wanted to know why I didn't follow through with Aerospace Engineering in University. They were trying to convince me that it would have been a lot more exciting than working as a Second Officer because all you really do spend a lot of time in the dark and there is no hands on flying. I think they were just trying to gauge my reaction under pressure.

A few new HR questions during stage 2:

-Would you be willing to commute to HK for the job if you had to?
-Later, when you become an FO and are older and may have a family, you will still not get housing allowance. How do plan to deal with that?
-The cadet program was only for HK residents. Why has it gone international.
-Why do we have a cadet program at all?
-Have you considered Type-Rating yourself and getting into an airline that way?

There were a few technical questions that were repeated but there were a few new ones too:

-Draw the RB211 and GE90 engines on the board, highlighting the differences.
-What gauges do we have in the cockpit for these engines?
-Where is the EGT measured from?
-Where is the RPM measured from?
-Identify the model on the table (777-300ER)
-What is the purpose of the raked wingtips and how do they work?
-Describe all the fire extinguishing systems on the 777.
-Once both bottles for 1 engine have been released into the engine and the fire has not been put out, can we use the bottles from the other engine? (fire extinguisher crossfeed?)
-What are the brakes made of?
-What are these? and what is their purpose? (points to the canoe flap fairings)
-What is the pressure, in PSI, of the flaps' hydraulic system (777)?
- What is the composition of the air in the tires?


Unfortunately, I cant remember precisely everything that was asked and how it was asked but I hope this helps :)

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

Hey ozskygirl,

the test you linked is actually the Ravens standard progressive matrices, but good find anyway!:D

[ozskygirl]

Damn, and here I was thinking I was a genius! Thanks for that :8

[Em773ER]

Eddie757 you got asked this?...

-Later, when you become an FO and are older and may have a family, you will still not get housing allowance. How do plan to deal with that?

I heard that cadets get housing after their time as S/Os? i.e. when they become F/Os

That raises the question, do cadets EVER get housing in their time with CX??

Thanks for the responses

[crwjerk]

CX pilot union is fighting for a housing allowance for all Cadets, even those of you who can't live with your parents once you take this job. Otherwise, a cadet will not get a housing allowance until they become Captain. So, 15-20 years at this rate.

[ReverseFlight]

Message about checked baggage just received through Marco Polo membership:

The policy below applies to tickets purchased on or after 1 December 2010. You are entitled to a free baggage allowance, which varies depending on your route, class and member tier. You can take extra bags with you for a charge.

Looks like CX is finally waking up and moving towards a revenue model. One of their significant spending items could disappear - the cadet pilot program. Will CX end up with PTF like Air Asia ? :*

[ap_797]

Hi guys,
I was wondering if someone could confirm for me the fleet numbers for the 747-400 and the a340... are these 21 and 11 respectively? I keep coming across conflicting data so wanted to check.
thanks!

[orangeboy]

according to their interim report its 22 and 15

[kingofkabul]

Hi,

I applied to this programme 15 months ago, stating london and Paris as preferred locations.

Emailed Cathay after 8 months to which they replied that my application still had not been screened. Logging in to the website I see my application is still being 'processed'

Do you think it is safe to assume that my application was rejected? Has anyone else waited a ridiculous amount of time and actually heard something back along the lines of 'please f*** off'? Or do they not bother with rejection emails?

[SuperJet]

HI King Of Kabul,

Can you send me a private message, or even post on here, who you emailed to get an answer from? I couldn't find anyone to respond to me...

Cheers, and best of luck!

SJ

[kingofkabul]

Hi SP,

It was just the standard [email protected] email. I was amazed someone actually replied, but they do!

Back to waiting... Man I'm bored!

[orangeboy]

airburkina, if you don't manage to pass the first round interviews, from what others have experienced, generally they are happy for you to reapply (some people even get asked to reapply later on) - generally its atleast 6 months after, but 10-12 months has also been mentioned.

as for reapplying and the chances of getting called again, well i guess it really depends on how much they think you have improved from the last time based upon what you have written on your application. For example, if you applied the first time with say only a few hours flight experience, they'd probably expect you to have alot more hours the second time you reapply, offcourse how many extra hours depends on the time length on which you reapply.

[coobg002]

Hey has anyone been given the thumbs up for 2nd stage and still havent been given a time?

[Stallone]

Has anyone read my post about the C-Scale Scam you are tripping over each other to accept?

http://www.pprune.org/fragrant-harbour-wannabes/393050-international-cadets.html
see link for the argument that was already in existence since last year

as for the working visa, we'll see how long can the government hold out before succumbing to Cathay Pacific

[SW1]

Found this on Ebay: If anyones interested in the Ravens APM:

Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices book 1 and 2 on eBay (end time 26-Nov-10 11:42:26 GMT) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170568456470)

[futureTP]

yep still waiting for further dates! vish so you finally got the email good luck for stage 1!

[Cpt. Underpants]

someone please suggest me hotels near to the Flight training center cathay pacific which is my venue for stage 1 in coming 2 weeks????

Using the MTR/S64 bus you can get from TST to CX City in an hour for about $25.

Pick any cheap hotel in TST or on Hong Kong Island and you'll be ok.

As an aside, if you can't afford a hotel room for your interviews, how in G*ds name do you think you're going to live here with no housing allowance?

If/when you come to HKG, please use it as an opportunity to get a feeling for CoL. I've been here for 20 years, I'm an "A" scaler, and it still takes my breath away...

[Stallone]

someone please suggest me hotels near to the Flight training center cathay pacific which is my venue for stage 1 in coming 2 weeks????
I have checked regal, mariot and novetal that are expensive...and headland hotel only allow cathay staff....
I can take a hotel upto 700-800 HK$ per night....


dude, you don't have to live near the place, you can live in Kowloon area, lots of cheaper options there. And going to the airport is pretty straight forward with the MTR, you won't lose your way.

the boards and road signs have English on them, fret not

[T-Mass]

iCadets can live in an iPad. There, I fixed it.

[jetjockey696]

I think the cheapest hotel... in HK is Chungking Mansion a few hundred HK dollars.. per day... I think no more than 600HKD for 2 days.. probably discount for longer stay.. and its very close MRT..3-5min walk..and shopping.

OR Tsing Yi.. hotel... Rambler Oasis....

[RookieRookie]

Try Cosmo hotel in CWB.

[RookieRookie]

Royal view hotel

[mtcaust]

Iron Skillet

I appreciate that you have good intentions behind your posts, and you are speaking from an experienced point of view. You are obviously quite informed about living conditions in HK, and the detriment to us of a package without housing allowance. However, we are completely inundated by posts such as yours, which are repetitive to say the least. I understand this is because those with experience are trying to get an important point across. But please... let those of us who are considering the program use this forum for its desired effect. We can't get a question in without one of these "creative" and long-winded responses. There are plenty of live forums available for us to read on the very topic in which you are trying to turn this one into.

Cheers

[mrfox]

Enfin je me rappelai le pis-aller d’une grande princesse à qui l’on disait que les paysans n’avaient pas de pain, et qui répondit, "Qu’ils mangent de la brioche."

[Captain Dart]

Mtcaust, I take your point but if you are successful with CX selection and training, eventually I am going to be sharing a cockpit with you.

The 'shiny jet' novelty will have long worn off (they're not so shiny anyway after exposure to Asia's pollution). It will be three o'clock in the morning at FL 380 over pretty much any third world country you may care to name, possibly with a typhoon or thunderstorms waiting on arrival in HKG. You will be living in sub-standard accommodation, not remunerated in accordance with your skills and responsibilities and you will be looking at years just to F/O let alone command. After paying your rent you may even not be able to afford to eat properly or relax on your days off.

And I will have to listen to your troubles and perhaps cope with a crew member under stress and not performing at optimum level. Long haul flying for CX involves fatigue, jet lag, sometimes fighting sleep, the close confines of a cockpit with other crew for hour after hour after hour, dreadful weather during the Asian summer and, in this company, roster disruption, 'checking' rather than 'training' and very aggressive management.

A 'reasonable person' may tolerate all this on A or maybe B scales, but on the package that you will be on, don't say you were not warned.

[cptdivz]

quick question folks,

Why the hell do cathay run a cadetship in the first place when there are so many people willing to pay for their own training? And also why have cathay opened it to internationals? Doesn't make sense to me? ( I may just be being thick):sad:

regards,

cptdivz.

[MilPilot]

It is cheaper in the long run. A lot of the cadets already paid for their own training and are still willing to accept the lower terms. They will be stuck for years to come because they can't really use their type rating anywhere else.

[uspilot]

P2X is not a Type Rating....:= talking to these guys is like going in to dark room and talking to wall...they just don't get it...they will sell their mother to get on:D...I like to see how many of these guy pass training:}....They should know CX doesn't teach...they only CHECK...good luck to all

[SloppyJoe]

Have to disagree slightly with the, they only check comment. Yes as an FO I can totally believe that you just have checking even though it is meant to be training. As an SO, line checks are very much training orientated most of the time, only one of the few I have done so far was very much checking and no real training. The SO sim mods of which you do one every two months are also generally training with very good instructors. Its not really enough to keep up to speed and my flying skills have gone very downhill since I joined but the sim instructors I have come across all try to include what you want and help you improve.

I know you don't want to hear it again but if you have a family forget it, as a single person you can survive, you have to think weather or not you want to live somewhere where all you can do is survive.

[Stallone]

slog it out for 4yrs n life will be better as an F/O?

even for the self sponsored license holders, they won't be having an easy first 5yrs AFTER getting a license; in debt and without a good paying flying job.

a confirmed job after the cadetship is what attracts wannabes. granted it's not gonna be easy, at least it's more assured than getting a license yourself

[desmondnnk]

Had my first interview today at Sydney.
for those who are doing it these few days,
do have a look at the interview questions posted in this thread ,
because i got asked almost exactly the same questions.
but i didn't prepare too well for it, so finger crossed for now.

[ap_797]

Hi all,
I was wondering whether those who've done the english tests have any recommendations in terms of how to prepare for them? Is there much prep that a native speaker can actually do? My understanding is that the tests comprise an oral and listening element. Is there any english reasoning tests included as well (i.e. read a passage and chose the correct statement)?

Thanks!

[orangeboy]

ap_797, the english contains a few parts

i'm assuming its the same for everyone, so in no particular order and from what i can remember

1) watch a video, then afterwards explain what its about and answer a few questions about it

2) listen to a series of recordings (conversations) and explain and answer questions relating to them

3) describe a picture you are given, and some general questions relating to it

4) choose some items from a list and explain why you chose them

5) explain some words that the interviewer gives you


as long as you concentrate and pay attention, you should be fine :)

[ap_797]

thanks!! :ok:

[mtcaust]

yawn.. you seem like captain material