There's some good points being raised on this thread. Here's my two cents for whatever its worth.. (probably not much!)
Each to their own I say. The cadet program is not for everyone. Everyone's situation is different and everyone has their own goals and ambitions.
For me personally, I don't have the money to pay for a fixed wing CPL, instrument rating and all the rest. If I can get CP to pay for it and then gaurantee me a job at the end then its worth it. It also means bypassing flying GA stuff and gets you straight to the airlines. Awesome.
I dont have any debts, have no children and my partner is also working so spending a few years in Hong Kong earning a minimal wage is not much of a drama. I'm also from Adelaide originally so I'll have plenty of family support while I complete the initial training if required. I love flying and if I get a cadetship then CP will have a highly motivated and dedicated trainee on their hands.
However, if I was married with 3 kids and a dog, had a mortgage and my partner was unemployed then the cadet program would be unsuitable for me. Simple.
I guess everyone needs to do a little soul searching and consider their own financial/family obligations before applying for this program. If the conditions on offer are unsuitable for your personal situation then don't apply..
