Hi jandakotcruiser, I must say your post was well thought out, and I respect your argument. The only thing that I have to add (with respect) is that the guys that we are dealing with in HKA are a very special bunch, a bunch of wannabees' who haven't made it anywhere else, and have made quite public a very anti-gweilo agenda.
To whit;
RS: "...the whites are going to be sacked." (Mind you, this is from a half-caste!)
Little Dickie: "...Cathay is finished, Hong Kong needs a Chinese only airline, I heard it in Beijing." This is from a guy who can't pass a HKCAD Examiner's course!
Mdm. Wu Wu (Speaking to an AHK pilot when he was in AHK): "What are you doing here, this is an Asian airline, we don't wan't you here!" Best of luck with your 600 hours command time, we have noticed that you haven't had the guts to do the B737 course!
Regarding the upgrade course, the only candidate we are all worried about is "The Bedwetter" from the CAD, is he really going to fly from the left-hand seat? That is really something to worry about!