Space Driver and anyone else that has applied:
I would call or write the office with an update. Like any airline hiring office, things change and applications can sit around.
To the facts, CAL gets A330s next year and the "plan" is to transition the AB600 guys to the Aibrus 330. Obviously people that have flown Airbusses would be natural to any airbus products. At least that is what my Aussie former 320 guys tell me.
CAL needs 747-400 people mostly. I think there are only 4 US Operators and that is why there is not a great surplus of people with experience on this airplane with the exception of the Singapore guys ,some of which are currently interviewing. This will go on for a while.
CAL will continue to get 744PAX and 744F airplanes. I just flew the latest new freighter yesterday from ANC to TPE and it is a neat clean airplane. And it does very well at 44,000' in the block!
(yes we were light returning to TPE as is always the case).
But like any airline, there is turnover, retirements, and firings. So CAL will be hiring for a while and mostly in 744s. But there is another 737-800 coming and people do leave. More on that later.
NOW TO THE BOXGUY747
I don't know who you are. To you and the readers, most anything you write will not get my "goat" nor bother me. But I will tell you that most people leave public forums because they get sick of being beat up.
My goal now and has always been is to help anybody who wants to work as a pilot specifically at China Airlines to find a job. I would prefer to have good people at CAL rather than flying with the dregs of aviation. I personally would like to see good people and high quality people come to China.
That doesn't infer that many are not already here like that because they are. Some of the best people in the world do work here and that includes many of the world's major airlines. In fact, the two guys I flew with for the last 5 days were better than my former carrier if we look at averages.
CAL uses a different system than UAL did on the 400. UAL had only one Captain and all type rated First Officers. The flying guy could be next week's "bunkie" as they were called.
At CAL, it is not uncommon to have two Captains, a cruise Captain and some number of F/Os.
Prior to CAL, I had only worked for one employer my entire life. It was not exactly a wonderful model career. (I'll save that for another time). But 21 years to make Captain was hardly the industry/world's average.
United has some labor troubles <bfg> in 2000 and then 9/11 came. The U.S. airline industry was headed downhill since then. I find it interesting also that only two airlines lost employees and airplanes on 9/11 and mine was one of them. In fact, I lost one of my friends on one of the UAL flights on 9/11. It was a sad day attending his funeral. But I digress.
I cite this only because I had no intention to leave my employer five years early had it not been for the above and the bankruptcy. It was one of the biggest decisions I ever made.
That leads to CAL.
Two years ago, I had barely heard of them. 12 months ago was the first time was the first time I had ever ever thought about looking for a job since I was 21. So I wished somebody could have been of assistance in the last year and I hope to be.
This is a good time for people looking for a job. PERIOD!
Now to BOXBOY's apparent complaint to which I will not dodge. That is not my nature.
Do I have good things to say about CAl? Actaully YES. Who knows? I may not survive my first year. I have no idea. But I do know that the people that surround me have been excellent. There is the usual airline "goat rope" where many things don't get communicated and you can't find out WHY something is happening. And YES, the language problem does add to this dillemma.
I have new friends from many countries and I have new friends in other departments at CAL. It's a growing company in an area where of the world that is generally warm,rains sometimes, and has earthquakes.
But right now, there are not many jobs that pay what CAL pays in the world that is growing and not furloughing pilots. And there are other areas of the world that I am GLAD that I don't have to go to simply to find an aviation job. I think I would rather not fly rather than go to some of these places. There are plenty of lower paying jobs in my own country and in fact, I often get job offers. The truth is I am not currently interested.
So for BOXBOY or anybody else, you either accept where the job is or head for a different occupation. Bitching to me (and us) isn't going to solve anything!
Now BOXBOY sounds to this guy that he is NOT very happy, angry that I am a Captain (gee, do I deserve this or should I come back when I get a little more experience???), or that he is a COpilot. It sounds like all three to tell you the truth.
Many of my friends are copilots (and a hell of a lot more gracious than BOXBOY) . I think I remember many eyars as a flight engineer and as a copilot. I think I remember the long raod to being Captain, getting furloughed, getting bumped back to F/E and all the fun things that go with an airline aviation career.
So I am not sure what the big complaint that BOXBOY pontificates over.
So now the most humourous comment is how I have such a "good understanding". Since I have only been at CAL since May 5th (and received one month off without pay during SARs like most of my other CAL friends to save the Company money((it was not voluntary)), I have to agree that I probably have less time than BOXBOY. But at least I am not afraid to put my name on my opinion!
I am not sure what" understanding" BOXBOY wants me to have. The facts are you bring your credentials to the party and someone either hires you or they don't. You either take the job offer or you don't. It's quite simple. No one at CAL is under any compulsion to stay here. I certainly am not. In fact, they just reduced the time of notice to resign to 10 days. I hardly think that anybody has a gun to their head to stay here or anywhere.
I do it because I like it. I like the people and I do like receiving a paycheck. I would like to continue paying a house mortgage and keep my airplane.
And for BOXBOY, if I am doing such a fine job at recruiting, then maybe I should get my own office, some stock options, a secretary, and view of downtown TPE(other than from the crew room) and maybe they'll double my pay. I am surprised that Larry King has not called me for a one hour special some night. Wait, I hear the phone ringing. Could it be him?
So how about job security? Easy answer. There is very little. I can leave CAL on short notice and they can fire or lay off pilot employees on 30 days notice. You keep flying and they keep sending the check. If not then leave and see another line of work or employer. Simple.
How's the hotel? Well, it is your basic 2+ star hotel close to the airline's headquarters. It is in one of most prestigeous areas of town. CAL has an expat crew lounge. I'll see some of you at 6 which is a daily tradition with most of us.
How about the crews and management? Well, when in TPE, I am to the headquarters for a few hours when I have nothing better to do and to check mail. I also get paid. A wonderful rewarding experience. How many have been fired in the last 18 months? Well, I heard some 65 or more. Most because of sim failures and the inability to use CLR/CRM. That's why a lot of expats ARE here. As for the pilots I have flown with since I have been here, there is nobody that I have had a problem with.
I would like to hear ANYBODY's viewpoint here whether they agree or disagree with me. I can only speak for myself.
And IF you are a F/O a CAL, then why aren't you the next candidate for Captain? Don't want it? Can't get it?
Gee, at a meeting last week attended by the Senior VP and 100 of the CAL pilots), they announced there were no restrictions to upgrade except for ability. There is no longer any mandatory wait nor hours.
I have another fleet meeting on the 8th. so maybe I can find out some more information.
But in the meantime, I'll keep doing what I enjoy in a place that has thus far been a nice place to work. I am going out for my daily 5 mile walk around Taipei. It sure beats a lot of places that I COULD be in the world. Time for the afternoon pub crawl and the gathering later tonight.
I hope that this has been as meaningful for you to read as it was for me to write. Maybe some people ought to go get a life.
JIM