Once DEFO starts again....
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Once DEFO starts again....
I am optimistic and I'm pretty sure the DEFO program will open up again within the next .....2-5 years 
In the meantime, I was woundering what are the flight times you guys/girls had when got hired into the DEFO program??? 2k,3k,5k, 12k Hrs ??? WB??? LH???
Thanks.
In the meantime, I was woundering what are the flight times you guys/girls had when got hired into the DEFO program??? 2k,3k,5k, 12k Hrs ??? WB??? LH???
Thanks.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Perth, Australia
Age: 44
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dan Buster - I dare say that when potential cadet applicants discover the fact that there is no housing allowance, they'll think twice about applying. I know I did.
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Age: 47
Posts: 1,007
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
They will have absolutly no problem getting applicants in the hundreds. If you are not aware there are people actually paying to fly 100+ hours in A320,A340,737 aircraft for airlines without a job at the end. It has even got to the point where experienced pilots are paying for hours in the left seat of things like ATR's to build command time. Total idiots.
The cadet scheme cathay offers is the best way to get into an airline without spending a fortune. I would have done it, got free training, a rating and some hours once a JFO and then gone home to work. I expect that will be a pretty big trend once these expat cadets have been a JFO for a year with a widebody rating and 600+ hours. What I am half expecting is a change in the contract so as to not specify widebody but who knows.
The cadet scheme cathay offers is the best way to get into an airline without spending a fortune. I would have done it, got free training, a rating and some hours once a JFO and then gone home to work. I expect that will be a pretty big trend once these expat cadets have been a JFO for a year with a widebody rating and 600+ hours. What I am half expecting is a change in the contract so as to not specify widebody but who knows.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Perth, Australia
Age: 44
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just out of interest, what is stopping CX from hiring DESO's or DEFO's on local conditions i.e. without allowances? If they did that, they'd have an even cheaper source of pilots.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: canada
Age: 46
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My guess would be that they want to try to keep their people for long time and if possible for a career with Cathay. If you invest a lot of money in training than you want to keep those people. If they stop paying the housing allowance yes some people would apply. It would be much less people than now and it would be mostly younger pilots without families. In my opinion Cathay would have to spend much more money on their training, the success rate wouldn’t be very high and even if everything goes well those people will eventually have families and they will go back to their country’s national airlines once they get some experience. The housing is cheaper in Australia and Canada than in Hong Kong. What I want to say is that the housing allowance is a magnet for experienced pilots to come live in Honk Kong .
Yes they would have a cheaper source of pilots but they would constantly lose pilots and also if you hire somebody with 200 hrs and the guy did the training in some private aviation school you can't knows if he is ready for Cathay. If the guy never worked anywhere and he didn't prouve himself than you don't know what are his flying abilities. At least if you train them with Cathay standards as a cadet you know if they are good enough and if they are not they simply don't finish their training
Yes they would have a cheaper source of pilots but they would constantly lose pilots and also if you hire somebody with 200 hrs and the guy did the training in some private aviation school you can't knows if he is ready for Cathay. If the guy never worked anywhere and he didn't prouve himself than you don't know what are his flying abilities. At least if you train them with Cathay standards as a cadet you know if they are good enough and if they are not they simply don't finish their training
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And of course there is always the possibility for the cadets to take a base in their homecountry with CX when they are FO's. No need to change employers.
