SO/FO?
Hello everyone!
I am currently working as FO on MD80 for a small European airline. We mostly do wet lease and charter ops. I like my job but I am thinking of moving on career wise.
Cathay is one of the options that seem very interesting to me. I am thinking of weather I should try to start as SO on PAX or DEFO on Freighter.
I am hoping that maybe some of you guys who has been through this before and have some experience can help me out by letting me know some of your thoughts and ideas about this.
I started out as a low timer and have about 750h tt now out of which 530 is on the MD. I expect to meet the SO req. during the spring and the min req. for DEFO at about this time next year. I know that the req. are just min req. and maybe a lot more hours are needed for DEFO but I also know that the aviation market has changed and turned upwards a lot the last year or two so it might not be impossible after all.
I know I have limited experience but not being allowed to take off or land for 1,2,3? years makes me feel as if it would be better to stay where I am a little bit longer and then try the DEFO option. However, DEFO on Freighter fleet would mean a base in Europe (I live in Sweden now) and I am not sure I want that. I would probably try to commute, maybe Frankfurt-Stockholm. Anyone who does the same? Would that work? What are the roster patterns?
On the other hand my girlfriend thinks it would be very exciting to move to Hong Kong and she thinks she can get a good job there. I wouldn't mind going there myself but I am hesitating some on becoming SO.
However, I think I would prefer flying PAX and in the long run I suppose I can be a relief pilot for a while if I know it leads to something good.
Any general ideas about this?
Howabout living in Hong Kong on SO salary? Is that ok with the housing allowance or will it be hard?
Or transfering from Cargo to PAX. Cathay's web page says minimum 3 years but what is it in reality?
Is the SO to FO upgrades done strictly based on seniority or would it be possible for me to make that faster if I already have lets say 1100h MD80 when I start?
I have also read some disturbing threads here and of course I know that they are just threads here and not exactly the truth, but no smoke without a fire. Some guys are complaining about a reporting system and a training system that seems to me as if it looks for mistakes more than it educates. That seems very far from what I am used to from Scandinavia. Any truth in this or is it just misunderstandings or unhappy people opening up after having failed or what?
I know there are a lot of questions but if some of you have the time and energy to answer at least a few of them I would be very grateful.
Any other Swedes or Scandinavians out there who are working for CX who can let me know what you think of the company?
By the way, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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