Would you like a start date for your new job before you quit your current job? Cathay will not give you one. Yes sure, you will be given a date for when your course starts in Adelaide, but at that stage you are not employed by Cathay - you are going through Cathay's 'sponsorship' to convert your licence and prepare you for the type-rating with an MCC type course, regardless of your previous experience.
Even though getting the job after the course in Adelaide might be considered a formality by some people, Cathay expect full commitment from you, of course, in quitting your job but in return they don't even give you a start date for your employment with them - just hope for the best I suppose.
Some companies start cadets on a lower pay scale than DE pilots, but at Cathay everyone starts on the same SO salary, which is considerably lower than FOs get. While the 'forgiveable loan' is extra cash that the short course new SOs receive, it doesn't change the fact that they start on the same very low basic salary and it is re-payable if you leave within 6 years.
To many Cathay may have more desirable rosters than Dragonair - better and more varied destinations and more time off. Yes, if you can look past the short-term, it is an appealing option to many. However, why should you have to take such a gamble in taking a job with a supposedly reputable 'world-class' airline? No actual employment offer, no proper type-rating, no handling at all (except in the sim), a backwards step in the short term as far as gaining proper experience is concerned. You will also have to agree to be financially liable for the TT course in Adelaide, should Cathay decide not to employ you!
Yes, lots of time off (which also means lots of time to spend your (lower) salary), but if something changes in 2-3 years and you need to get a job elsewhere, you won't be in the best position. Lose your medical in 3 years and you will have made the financial sacrifice of taking the SO salary with a longer term goal in mind. So, again, why should you have to take that gamble?
It comes down to what options are available, but that's why a lot of the guys going there come from air taxi/bush flying type jobs because they don't have as many alternative options to get into an airline. Most people with a fair amount of experience who are looking for opportunities abroad will be more tempted by the Middle East, where they are rewarded straight away without having to take the same initial gamble that Cathay expect you to take, even though the Middle East may be a less desirable place to live for those same people.
People who have other potential options that seem less risky, where their experience is valued and they are compensated better from the start will probably be much more reluctant to go for Cathay than people flying a Chieftain or Caravan around Africa.
I don't know the ins and outs of Dragonair but, while you might work harder in terms of days per month, you don't have that same gamble and risk (and lower salary) that Cathay expect you to take from the point you leave your current job and for the next few years as a cruise relief SO.
Last edited by terd_ferguson; 27th Jun 2015 at 15:48.