Hi to Nosegear, 404Titan, crwjerk and any other current Cathay pilots watching this forum... Thanks for your honesty.
I'm looking for a little guidance, I'm a C-cat with about 700 hours, possible full time charter job lined up for summer, but I stress possible. I've been reading through this for the last couple of days and I just had to ask you guys a few questions. I put my app in about 7 months ago and had forgotten about it, but I then got called up a few weeks ago for the stage 1 interview. I'm currently doing about 5 days a week instructing and maybe starting some part-time meatbombing as well.
With possible jobs in the pipeline and GA starting to rebound after the last few sh*tty years, is there any point me doing this cadetship? I mean, I understand that conditions are pretty crap when you're an SO, and going out isn't really an option, but let's face it, as a instructor I'm earning about $200NZD a week and spending more than that most of the time with absolutely no social life, my accounts just keep rebounding off of my maximum credit limit. So I'm no stranger to slumming it, and if the conditions are so bad for all SO's then surely you could flat with a few good lads, buy the beers at 711, and drown your sorrows in your tiny apartment with other guys who are in the same position as you. To be honest that sounds a bit better than living at home with the parents as I'm forced to do atm with my whopping instructors salary.
All that said, I'm not in a huge hurry to fly jets, kinda keen to enjoy some sweet GA first, trying to save for a float rating atm
My only concern is that all the airlines seem like they're moving towards this cadetship scheme type of hiring structure. I understand Cathay have stopped hiring DESO, what about DEFO? Cos eventually I guess I'm going to have to get a jet job to pay off my student loan, and if I'm going to have to go through the cadetship type thing I would rather get it over and done with now and get the earliest seniority number I can. But if Cathay are still hiring DEFO I would rather screw around in lighties for a few more years, get some twin ATO time and then make the airline move further down the track.
If I had no experience and no options this would be a no-brainer, but I'm looking for advice based on the fact that I do have options in GA.
Help!
Please this is directed at actual Cathay pilots who know what they're talking about, thanks
ps I'm single and don't want to have to cut my man parts off, are there many expat females in HK?