Dear Peter
Interview process is fairly run of the mill.
Anytime now there might be a sudden change so I would be prepared. Not that anything is planned but sometimes airlines get a feeling that they are something special and that you need to be a rocket scientist to get a job.
Medical is quite involved ( two days ) and typical of the Asian airline invasive type. Some healthy and fit people have failed the medicals.
Important points.
Things appear much better than they are. Much Expat discontent. All will be revealed once you join. You will see some form of contract but the fine print is in the Policy Manual. You will not see this until a few months after joining. Then you will be told that if you don't sign a contract by ------, it will be deemed that you accept the conditions in the Policy Manual regardless.
As a 737 F/O ( my assumption - appol if in order) you would not earn enough money to send children to an english speaking school and pay the other bills. Local schools are in Chinese and the culture is to be very competetive. They will not make allowances for children with some school experience who do not speak mandarin.
Western lifestyle is expensive in Taipei.
International schools ( read English language) can be US$15000 pa or more
Promotion prospects:
Don't believe what they tell you. It may be 6 to 8 years before you get a chance as they are only interested in promoting national pilots even though they will have far less experience and ability. They way they see it, there will be a expat in the cockpit so they are doing something about safety.
The rule is min of 4 years to enter a command pool for expats regardless of experience. Nationals can get in the pool with about 2000 hours total time and of that ,only light aircraft command time of 100 to 200 hours( maybe) . Once in the pool, nationals will always get preference . You can see that you can be going backwards for a very long time.
Many times Chinese will be spoke all around you and even about you but no English. Many captains have a very poor grasp of English.
If your contract says 3 or 5 years as an F/O, that is the best that you can expect as they change the Policy Manual to suit themselves. Many are on their 3rd contract and no upgrade.
CRM - You'll find out.
Penalties and Review Boards-
Somehow they believe that if some one is penalised( read fined- US$ 500 or 1000 or even multiples there of) then they will be
truely sorry or all will be fixed.
Review Boards are held to place blame on someone after an incident or a report from crew. Generally they try to pass the blame on to some one else even if it cleary should be leveled on one individual.
Have heard of a long haul crew all made to sim training after a manipulation problem of the captain, even the guy who was in the observer's seat!
They have plenty of funds and potential but they are hamstrung
by their culture , lack of lateral thinking and politics ( lot's of politics).
Much to be improved in CAL , hence the numbers of expats leaving . Think carefully if you currently have a job as most people who go to CAL have been tossed out of other companies or have no other option. Better the enemy that you know.
Me , I'm leaving , just waiting for my start date elsewhere.
Good luck