Originally Posted by
FPmr1
Is anyone here in the Cadet program currently or recently finished?
Bit of background, I am a HK resident with a CPL, Multi Instrument, CFI, CFII etc etc. FAA licensed. From my experience access pathways on to jets is difficult when HK isn't much of an aviation country compared to the USA for example SO or Cadet is optimal.
So i've just done my HR interview, they sent me that nice little pdf with the explanation of the two training courses, read and understood it. Reading the thread and talking to a Cathay pilot or two, the fear is that I may have to "start from scratch", and it was sort of confirmed to me when the interviewer actually said those words. But it doesn't make sense, if I get sent to say Arizona to Aeroguard how is it i'm going to start from scratch when I already have all the licenses and hours? In addition, the cadet course pamphlet does say the loan given to successful candidates can be reduced if elements of the course is not required. I'm getting mixed signals, Has anyone with aviation experience, applied, gone through a similar issue or is this just to test my commitment?
It's been a while since I've worked at this company, but I remember back when I joined years ago, there were guys who held instructor ratings and had to start from scratch all the same. Regardless of your ratings and licenses, you will have to go through everything that a fresh cadet with 0 hours would go through in the cadet program. All of this to get a fresh HKCAD CPL and their equivalent ratings.
There used to be a shorter "advanced entry" course of six months if you already have a foreign CPL, and a "transition course" of 6 weeks for those with ATPLs, but those have been phased out
afaik. If you are in the cadet course, you have to do it all. After you are done, and join a fleet at CX, you will only build "p2x" hours as you wait for an FO upgrade. You essentially won't build any transferrable experience during that time. This is why it's pretty much like starting over.