Originally Posted by
anxiao
Spoke to a guy at an airshow recently who's son has been accepted for the cadet course. "Is that in Adelaide?", I asked. No probably not. They do 9 months in Hong Kong for ground school as it has been taken in-house. Then most likely to the USA for the training, and back to HK for the jet conversion. During that 9 months they do not get paid, and have no housing allowance, which is why the son is moving back in with his parents in HK. And the housing allowance will be withheld for some years on course completion to "pay back" for the training.
Knowing the professionalism of both Perth (UK) and Adelaide and the product that came out of them I cannot see that this is anything but a penny pinching way to get a second officer at minimal cost. I doubt CX will pay for a proper course at Embry-Riddle or one of the very competent US universities that provide complete CPL courses.
Continually stretching for that poison dollar...
Imagine living in HK on an SO wage without a pilot allowance……. Roach infested cage apartments anyone?