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Old 16th Feb 2016, 13:34
  #53 (permalink)  
Black Crow
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: earth
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Your Skype interview can go several different ways.

If they like you and don't feel threatened by you, then it's just an easy meet and greet with lots of softball tech questions.

If they decide they don't like you, then they will pummel you with question after question, which some will make no sense, then insult you at every turn to show their superiority.

Honestly, why are you even considering this place? As of right now ALL expats (except one, who is married to a Filipina and lives there) have fled the country.

In case you missed it, this is what you are in for if you decide to work for these people:

1) You will be required to sign a training bond, about $30,000US (it varies).
2) The training is sub standard, actually "sub standard" would mean there is actual training. It's well below sub standard. Ground training is a joke, and sim training consist of having a local (expats are not allowed to be instructors) screaming and yelling while giving unrealistic problems and multiple emergencies. Be prepared to attend classes that are taught in Tagalog because the instructor could care less about you.
3) Being an expat, you are relevant until you're not. You will be looked down upon and will get firsthand attention of just how racist the Filipinos will be against you. In their eyes you are "stealing" their jobs.
4) Scheduling is horrendous. 8 hard days off per month, but you will get calls to fly on those days, and you are not allowed to decline. Typical schedule has you flying in on your last day arriving midnight or after, day off and showing at 1am on the next day. You cannot bid schedules, they are assigned. ATR flies 6 to 8 legs a day. Crew Schedulers are the equivalent of trained monkeys.
5) Pay. Dismal. FO's make about $2000/month.
6) Vacation. 2 weeks per year, that's it. And you are charged vacation days on your scheduled off days. So if the 2 weeks you pick for vacation have 3 off days, they make you take vacation for those days.
7) Domicile. Manila. Forget "cheap living" unless you want to live in a slum. On FO pay you cannot afford to live in Manila, period.
8) Captains (locals) will treat you like the scum of the earth, and when they screw up, you will be blamed.
9) Safety. The destinations of the ATR are small airports within the Philippines. Except for a very few (5?) the rest don't have instrument approaches or ATC facilities and no radar. You will fly with Capts that will concoct home made approaches into mountainous jungle terrain during monsoon weather. You will fly with Capts that have zero knowledge of aircraft systems. Several ATP locals have about the knowledge of a Private Pilot in the rest of the world.. Limitations? What's that?
10) You will pay for your own work permit (about $1000 US), you will pay for your own license conversion with the CAAP, you will pay for your own company medical exam. In essence, you pay for EVERYTHING required to gain employment. While attending training until you are released for line flying (about 6 months) you will receive a "training allowance" (no other pay) that is less than $500/month. Think you can live in manila for $500 a month?
11) There is no flow through to the A320 or the A330 as they are different companies. If you go to the ATR (CebGo) you are stuck there, period.
12) Captain upgrade. Forget it. Locals get priority on upgrades.
13) If you do get lucky enough to upgrade (kiss enough ass) then you will be required to sign another training bond of $30-$50K US, that will run concurrent with your FO training bond.
14) Sick days. Unpaid. That's right, call in sick= no pay. And if you call in sick, you are required to go to a doctor, get a grounding slip. Then when you are better, you are required to go back to a doctor and get a release slip.
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