Quick and Dirty?

[Saturn]

I just sent my resume off the Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong. I have read some info on your message board here but have a few quick questions. 1)Does Cargo and Proper have domiciles in the USA? 2)What are trypical rosters like for cargo and proper? 3)Current upgarde time for Cargo and proper? 4) How many years on average to go from Cargo to Proper. 5)Satring pay on cargo and proper and second and fifth year scales? I think I'd like to join Cargo to get that window seat. I have previous B747 classic expereinece as well as EFIS experinec on B757/767 and Fokker 100. Any help would be appreciated. Hope to see you there.

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PLK

[Four Holer Roller]

Doubt if impression of dyslexia will improve your chances!!!

[WTF...?]

Hey Saturn, if your resume reads anything like your posting, it should provide some comic relief to our overworked selection board!

[Slasher]

Hey Id like to apply to CX too! I got lots of EFIS experinec (including 1000 hours upgarde time), would love to fly Cargo (rubber dogsh*t) before I move on to Proper cargo (parcels, mail), and that Satring pay on cargo tryps sounds good too! :)

[jumpseat]

soory saturn, yuur over qolifyed!

[Saturn]

You're all very funny. I can spell just fine thank you. I just typed that quick after I finished my resume seeking just some inside info. Now that we've had our little laugh, can someone possibly answer the questions? Thanks again.

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PLK

[Checkmate]

If you can't take a joke, don't join.

[xs calf]

Well, there you have it, Saturn: a clear demonstration of the Cathay company ethos by some of your future colleagues.

To attempt to answer your questions:
1. Cargo: Yes Mainline: I believe so.
2. Cargo: UK:Very good - about two trips to HK per month. Aus: Lot of passengering from base to HK. US: -400 across Pacific otherwise not sure.
3. Aircrew Services Ltd (the recruiting subsidiary which employed flt crew for the freight operation) is now closed to further recruitment. You would be part of VETA (another subsidiary) or USAB (if US based). Upgrade time (and here I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong) is about:
Freighter: 3 - 5 yrs. Mainline: 7 - 10 yrs.
4. That depends on whether you go for a command on cargo or go to mainline at the first opportunity which may be about two years.
5. Annual F/O freighter salaries in 1999 were:
US: Yr 1:USD57,780 Yr 2: USD63,504 Yr 5: USD79,740
UK: Yr 1: GBP37,608 Yr 2: GBP39,396 Yr 5: GBP42,084
Canada: CAD 74268 - 82068 - 104916
Australia: AUD 72624 - 74280 - 76776 (the Aus salaries seem low but the company takes advantage, rightly or wrongly, of the fact that Australians employed overseas get tax breaks.)

Perhaps a kindly mainliner will post the requested B-scales.

I'd advise searching back in this forum for background info but here's a thumbnail sketch of my views:
You ain't in US/Western Europe; no employee protection; pilots are divided; union has no real teeth.
The past best reason for joining CX, the A-scale salary, has gone.
Military ethos. Attitude to training is archaic. (Remember to say "OIC") IT not as good as they think it is.
Company is modern(ish) and respectable but suffers from "blame culture". Their operational excellence derives mainly from recruiting high quality people of proven past experience who can cope.
Having said all that, the freight operation is very happy.

Good luck - perhaps see you on the fleet.
http://www.dragg.net/users/pennywitt/bugs/bugs52.gif
Dare I say Good Luck & A MERRY CHRISTMAS to all our readers.

[This message has been edited by xs calf (edited 17 December 2000).]

[Saturn]

Well, Thank you for the info. BTW, I can take a joke and thought the bashing was actually quite funny! No offense taken. Good luck to all of you folks in your attempts to make things better at Cathay. Bye for now.



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PLK

[St_Paul_Island]

Time to command - latest seniority list (about 6 months old) shows 1300 pilots, of which 450 are Captains (figures rounded off to help the math). That leaves 850 pilots ahead of you, each and every one of which will be offered command (on any type, freighter or pax, as chances permit) before you.

CX's last three years has seen 20 upgrades per year. A long term average is 40. The maximum ever is 60-ish (we don't have the training resources to do anywhere near this many today). Maybe if we expand enormously we could have a future average of 80, if you are optimistic.

Using 20-40-60-80 as estimates of future command upgrades, time to command will be 42, 21, 14, 11 years respectively.

Another method - Today's new captains joined ahead of S/Os (who spend 2-3 years before becoming F/Os), and they took 10-11 years, having joined in '89-'90. Total time, 12-14 years. Two different ballpark methods give approximately the same ballpark answer.

Mis-information - current freighter pilots joined out of seniority, in a management attempt to split the pilots and drive down salaries. They have the protection of 3:1 (or is it 4:1?) offer of commands, ie 3 freighter pilots will be offerred command on the freighter for every 1 CX pilot. This is NO LONGER open to those who join after 1 Jan 2000 - you will be on the seniority list like everybody else.

Bottom line, 11-14 years to command. That assumes that the current contractual seniority list holds. CX management love to fiddle contracts, but if you read the other threads I'm sure you know all about that.

[Saturn]

Thanks again for the reply. I very much appreciate it. Can someone tell me the current domiciles? And what to expect on the interview, providing I even get one. I have checked into a spelling class and expect to graduate sometime in the next five year

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PLK

[jagman]

Oh Dear......

[absolut KUK]

When comparing pay Scales it is important to remember that CX has a different system and not longetivety (sp? who cares!).
At CX a new 'title' means you start on Year 1, so when comparing Freighter pay vs Mainline , if they let you (they as always have the last say and there is no Guartantees you can come across to mainline, only if Buts maybes, in case of...blah blah.
You would start Year 1 salary even though you did 3+ years on the freighter.

[Goonybird]

S.P.I. The only factor you left out of yur time to commend calculation is retirements. Hopefully retirement age will remain at 55, and this will knock a few years off your estimates. Cheers

[St_Paul_Island]

Re retirements - you have it back to front. My figures are based on past upgrades. If retirement changes in the near future from 55 to 60 you can add 5 years to my estimates. Since we have have a higher demand for captains and nowhere near enough training capacity, my guess is that 55 will go sooner rather than later.

That makes time to command 16-19 years, regardless of whether you join as an S/O or freighter F/O.