Okay, I really think that I need to add my comments to this. I’m a CX SO that was line checked earlier this year; consequently I feel that I am pretty qualified to comment on Cathay’s initial training. In short:
Initial simulator phase, all training done by one instructor: Fantastic guy with a very mature attitude to the syllabus. It was completely ‘training’ until the 528 (check rides). The check rides certainly included training too, with thorough and fair debriefs.
Line Flying Under Supervision (LFUS) phase. Often flew with based training captains, so had different trainer out and back. They were from Australia, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and the States. Without exception, they were excellent – and I mean ALL of them. Saying that, they did all expect you to have done quite a lot of preparation before hand – but then again, isn’t that our side of the contract?
Continuation simulators (including checks): Again, you would not want to arrive without having opened a book, but surely that’s the same in every country / culture / airline? Training? Yes. Checking – yes too (for the check rides), but I have never felt that my career is balanced on the head of a pin when I’m in the simulator(so far!!). In fact as a SO it means that I can actually get to do some driving, so I actually quite enjoy the sim time (I do understand that might be construed as a little weird!).
I have only experienced the SO side of things – I’m know that that there are very poor statistics in some areas of training, for example command upgrades. Clearly I have not experienced that part of CX yet, so I’m not going to comment on it. The one thing that I will mention is that some reputations seem to be much worse than the individual. Watch out for Capt X, he’s a hard ar*e has been heard a couple of times – but Capt X seemed fine to me...
Before I get hammered, I know that I have only been with CX for less than a year, and I know that I have only seen one facet of the training machine. Nevertheless, that part that I HAVE experienced has been professional and effective. I’m not saying that CX is perfect, I know it’s not, but IMHO it does get a pretty unreasonable slamming from a vocal minority at times.
Oh for the xenophobes, I’m not from the Americas, Europe, Asia or Australasia altho’ I was living in Oz before HK. Perhaps that has a bearing on my views?
