China Airlines interview info

[GTP]

Can anyone give me any info about the interview with China Airlines. The tech quiz and Board interview info.
pease . thanks if you can

[dst3elmo]

I'm due for the China Airlines 744 fo interview in mid-August. Need help from anyone who knows about their tech interview, written and oral, as well as the sim profile. Thanks!

[Kaahboeing]

Don't worry about the interview or simride.
Why is it that blokes always want to cheat the system to improve chances? If you can fly, you will get in. If you can't fly you probably still have a good chance of getting in.
Many local pilots with limited skills and even less experience have made it into the left seat.
Harder stuff to handle after you get in . That's where the
bull****e really starts to fly.
I am out of there now (Thank GOD) but, still hear about many expats leaving because of no upgrades and the same old CAL bull****e . See them arrive at EK to start or interview.

Can anyone shed some light on why the 340 TRE has left for greener( read sandier) pastures. I have heard the story, just want confirmation that all is still the same at CAL.

Funny how you don't hear of pilots leaving EK.
Maybe they promote the best people and keep all the troops happy.







:}

[etops777]

KAAHBOEING,

China Airlines is still the same old CAL!

I have several friends at CAL that have applied to EK and are anxious to leave CAL ASAP. EK may not be a greener pasture to many western airlines but sure is compared to CAL.

[wigwag]

Kaahboeing,

Any chance of expliaing more on the recruitment process, and Why are you so glad to be out of cal ? and why so many ready to leave to greener pastures? Is it pay? safety ? what ???

Thanks

:confused:

[GTP]

Yes please people. any info on why CAL is not the company please let me know. I will be giving up a position as 737 capt to go there as an fo. So anything in advance would be good.
but sometimes you just have to go an find out for yourself.?

[etops777]

GTP

Unless you are close to being furlough otherwise don't take the job with CAL.

Very steep cockpit gradient, poor CRM practice, incompetent management....etc, too many to lists. Why would you want to take a job with CAL when majority of the local pilots are looking for "greener pasture".

Pilots now are being given a PPC once every 3 months, poor rostering-no bidding, and will face a dicsplinary action for every FOQA exceedance.

I was with them for 6 years and would have my command on the 747 if I had stayed. Think hard about it..PM if u need additional info.

cheers

[dst3elmo]

etops777

Then it is true that CAL gives upgrades from fo to command; some people say otherwise.

Please tell me more about "very steep cockpit gradient". ? Heard stories, though, about poor CRM flying with locals. I really need to know more about CAL's world.

[Kaahboeing]

GTP
You would have to be CRAZY to go to CAL . You will be an F/O forever.
Etops 777 would not have his command on 747 now he would be where he was.
Heard of a guy with 3000 hours wide body comm who made the mistake of taking a Cruise Cpt position 4.5 years ago. Still there despite what was " SAID" at interviews.

So it' s true "Etops" that the Airbus guy failed 4 local upgrade candidates for poor flight standards and command judgement ( read: they all crashed the SIM) and they were all passed a few days later by the local management, without further training.

Heard also that another Airbus Check pilot has just gone and may be knocking on the door here.

Heard also that they may want expats to be second officers
on even less money.
Standards , safety, CRM, reverse cockpit gradient and HR troubles on the 340 fleet now, just like the others .
Wonder what all this could mean??????

Time for another accident ?????? One more in a string and all for the same reason:
Don't take responsibility for
anything and cover your own arse by placing the blame on others

All of you out there.
If you have to go to Taiwan, go to EVA.
Yes you will have to start as an F/O but, there is some good management ( expats who know what worlds best practice, safety and CRM is about ) .
You will eventually get your command and in the meantime you will stay alive --- and that's important

[International Trader]

I am sorry to say that Kaahboeing is right in what he says.
Things are probably worse now than when you were here .

There has been a constant flow of expats leaving the 744 fleet and I believe that quite a group is now about to leave the 340 fleet because of promotion issues.
737 fleet mainly crewed by local F/Os straight out of initial flight training. These also want a promotion before expat F/Os.
If you join as an F7O or C.Cpt you will remain there and there is no evidence on the contrary. Was told of a guy with some 3000 wide body command hours who made the mistake of accepting a CCpt position nearly 5 years ago. Still there .

Locals are being promoted with ridiculously low experience.
Once these are joined with the even lower experienced pilots, the inevidable will happen.
The wrong peolpe are being promoted and the good ones are leaving.
Locals can't leave because they are bonded for 15 years.


I could go on but, all this and they are trying to introduce a new type.
Moral is below zero and the Company is not talking.
They aren't even listening!!!!!

Advice from the inside, if you have a job or another chioce, stay away

[Shintaro9]

SARs is long gone. Our "temporary" pay cut seems permanent now. Very hard to put trust in management nowadays, little or no integrity, resulting in very low morale. Not so nice to work here.

At the safety meetings they preach safety here, safety there and the next thing they do, put 3 man crew on the LAX-TPE sector. Same with the SFO-TPE sector. Not a good thing to do for an airline with a poor safety record.

There was an expat F/O on 340, just completed his ground school and CBT. Decided to just leave and join EK. He reckons he wont last long in CAL. And the expats joining here seem to have less and less experience than the ones that joined before. Guess the better one are joining either EK, QR or Etihad.

These things signs that all is not well in CAL and things are better off elsewhere.

[E.P.]

Collectively beautiful work.....heh,heh. :}

[GTP]

So not very green grass. I am going to the interview and will also have a good look around TPE while i am there, see what they have to say. I guess it would be good to have a 747 or 340 endorsement. But sounds like it is no long term career. It seems unusal i got an interview cause i am not type rated on any of there aircraft , when i sent my application. I do appreciate your comments though.

[IBTheseus]

But sounds like it is no long term career. (GTP)

I would say it would take a 'long term' to get a career out of CAL

And yes some realistic views on life here. Looking around for a few days will not scratch the surface. The people here are mostly very nice. Life here can be entertaining. The flying is varied.

It is the career path that lacks, and CALs honesty about the career path during the interview. The low general training ability, punitive management, and management encourraging secretive back stabbing reporting also put a dampener on the enjoyment.

[Kaahboeing]

If they give you a job and you don't have an endorsement, you can expect quite a bond.
They won't tell you about this at the interview but,
just before you are due to start, you will be sent a training agreement that will be a bond and training pay. You are told then to sign or you can't start your course as "planned".
Same with the contract, you will be told to sign or if you don't it will be accepted that you agree.
IB,
To say that the training standard is low is quite an understatement . I would say it is virtually non existant as every Sim ride is a check. All they can do is put ticks in the boxes of the areas where they see that your knowledge of the AOM or FOM is different ( I won't say less ) to theirs. They can't teach you anything because
A: they can't fly themselves
B: they can't teach.

Many, many of these people have the lowest level of flying ability that I had the misfortune to see.
Yet these will be promoted and the expats will be bi passed because you can sit in the right and seat and babysit until you are fed up and leave because you can't get a command. In the meantime they pay you less than an expat captain so ; that's OK by them

[International Trader]

It's not quite that bad, I think but, many are very inexperienced.
The training departments could use an overhaul, that is true.
Don't know what will happen on the airbus fleet as most if not all expat Instructors have quit along with the two examiners. I believe that the Training department chief is well over his head.
He is a nice guy and is trying. It's not his fault.

Rumour has it that they will upgrade a few expat pilots with command experience so as to make the transistion very easy for the training department and to improve the low morale.
This would be a very good idea as I see alot of inexperienced people promoted and, I know( from flying with them) that they will not be able to handle even a mildly difficult situation, if it is out of the ordinary.
The examiner who left obviously also believed this as this is why the last four were failed.
The expat Australians are very experienced commanders and deserve to be promoted. Most importantly, the passengers deserve it too.

The training pay is quite a shock as it is very low and the training period can be quite drawn out

I have been told that bonds will now be secured by real estate or bank guarantee.

[IBTheseus]

Kaahboeing

I didn't want to go too far with my thoughts. My observation with many in the training department is that it is easier for them to criticise than to actually teach good habits. There are reasons for this!!

There are however always exceptions. They are a highly procedural bunch because I think the experts say this is the way to keep low performers out of trouble. We all can, on bad days, be low performers.

International Trader

Things are looking up for you now!! Maybe it was worth you waiting!!

I had heard from one of the locals that a number of exparts had already been given upgrades. Always take this sort of comment with a grain of salt as the good news would have traveled like wild fire. Maybe there is something to it. We can only hope.

Are you saying you (we) go back onto training pay during the upgrade??

The bond is high. It may actually be worth getting the endorsement under your own steam, however, at the moment it is for three years and reducable daily.

Would also be great if they sorted out the retirement fund.

[Deske1]

Received pre-hire notice for B744 F/O two weeks before.

It stated 15.000 USD bond for 3 years.
I would appretiate if any of You confirm this or is it a trap?:rolleyes:

[E.P.]

Deske1

Are you already 747 endorsed or coming off another type?

I did some research and can only find evidence of ONE expat Cruise Capt EVER being upgraded on the 747. There has NEVER been a expat upgraded on the A340 and quite frankly why would the Chief Pilot bother? It serves him no purpose. :sad:

For a 747 driver, NCA cargo pays thousands more, you receive better conditions and most importantly a career path. :ok:

[Deske1]

Dear E.P,

I am rated only on the B737-800.I only want to know if I will get the same training agreement after arrival to Taipei.

It is clear for me that not to expect upgrade at CAL so I will not be disapointed.

But I signed and sent them back the notice and the training agreement and I hope they wont give me a different one as it means nothing as given word between gentlemen.:rolleyes:

So that is the reason I ask if the bond is really 15.000 usd.

Would be gratefull to either confirm or deny it.

It is a big decision in one life,and I think these kind of things are two way street.

I read here about huge bonds at CAL,but I have found 15.000 is very reasonable and fair.I have heard some 50 or 60k of training bonds at other airlines.

Thanks for any comments either by PM.

[IBTheseus]

Deske1

That is the going rate around here for the B744. It is reducable daily. Eva (Evergreen) for example have, if memory serves, 50K for 5 years, reducing after 2 years.

I wouldn't see it as a trap. But expect to sign it and send it to CAL before starting your training. Some have bolted from here without paying the bond. Not sure CAL are able to chase payment in many countries.

It is an expensive endorsement that other country authorities will not transfer onto your FAA, JAA license etc. I am not able to put my CAL endorsement onto my original license. The ROC is not part of ICAO which seems to be the dampener.

IBT

[Deske1]

Yes I know.I was surprised only about reading huge bonds at CAL.That was the only reason to ask,cause pesonally I dont find it so huge.

I also find disgusting sign a contract(bond),then escaping cause they (CAL) cant chase you.
doing this,always results tough times for those are playing fair.:yuk:

[International Trader]

Playing fair has different meanings to different people.

Expats see it as a two way street. And so it should be. Asian companies see it differently. I have worked for three now and they ALL believed the contract as something for the expat to stick to while they changed it to suit themselves.
And they will continue to do so.
It is almost like bartering with a street vendor, many twists and turns, and like a street vendor very hard to beat.
I like people to know what they are getting in to before they come. many of my expat co pilots tell me their story of how things changed after they got here and of what was "said " during the interview process.
I don't think bonds will change after the agreement has been signed but I have heard of them changed with negotiation.
It doesn't matter to me because I came in as a captain and will only have another contract before I retire ( maybe another) but, if you have any worries, get them to write them in on the contract.
Personally, I think it isn't right to first sign a training agreement and then be presented with a contract that you may or may not like.
But, as I said before, putting all the cards on the table is not the " Asian " way.
No, I'm not rasist, I am sleeping with one at present.

[E.P.]

Deske1

Why are you going to the the 747 (the most soul destroying fleet in CAL) ?? I would strongly suggest that you push for a 737-8 slot. No bond and much better lifestyle. You can be promoted to the 747/340 later with no bond. :rolleyes:

The bond is a curious thing at CAL. 777 pilots who join and are trained on the 747 are required to give a bank guarantee (around USD 15K). A330 F/Os who joined (before we had 330s) were trained on the 340 and have NO BOND! A320 Captains joined, did the exact same course as the 330 F/Os, were made relief pilots (for life) and were bonded for USD25K!!!! Go figure?? :ugh: :sad: :{ :ouch:

I have heard some good news from the Airbus camp. One of the expat F/Os has been playing his musical instrument at the C.Ps social occassions. This, according to the Chief Pilot, makes him a suitable commander and therefore he will be upgraded to Captain shortly. I believe he has around 3000hrs total time. Not bad to be in charge of a A340 into a NYC blizzard with that little experience. :suspect:

[Deske1]

E.P.

Do you have any idea how to change for B737-800?

It was not my choice.

[E.P.]

Deske 1

You could simply try contacting the expat office and requesting it. Nothing to lose huh? :ok:

[anthm]

Hey Gents
You have all lost it.
Taiwanese girls are great the japs inhabited the country for years, they are a beautiful mix between jap and china girls, after all what did you start flying for to begin with?
Konpaii

[wigwag]

E.P

I'm really keen on joining CAL but trying to get through to the recruitment bods is tough going. Applied on-line but heard nothing further. Whats the realistic rminimums required? Is there any other way of getting noticed by the personnel department ?
All help is welcome E.P

Thanks

:D