KA Interviews LGW

[Haggis]

Anyone gone for an interview within the last two weeks for the MAN basing on the freighter ?

Just wondering if anyone has heard how they got on at the final interview.

[shady]

You might want to ask what the exact salary is going to be. I don't think you will get a reply as the salary on offer is just an estimate from management, which has yet to be finalised with the pilots association.

Recent developments in the US with regards the economy, are currently weighing heavily on Dragonair's future commitment to develop a freighter fleet.Yes, two are on order, but there seems very little in the way of concrete plans for a longer term commitment.

Ask what the patterns will be, you'll get blank looks. Ask for the expected days off per month, you'll get blank looks. Basically, the company have no real plans what they are trying to achieve with the freighter.Rumour has it that its a challenge by the chinese (CNAC) against Cathay(Swires). By Dragonair giving up its freighter challenge to Cathay, its rumoured that the CNAC will be offered a controlling stake in Dragonair, to be sold to them by Cathay.

Were all just pilot pawns in the politics that still exist between the colonials and the mainlanders.

[headset]

Dragonair plan to operate the freighters, and I hear they plan (hope) to have up to 5 in service in 5 years.
Conditions, salary and benefits have not been agreed to, not at least from reading the pilot's union website. www.flying.to/dpa (http://www.flying.to/dpa)

It seems as if most of this operation is a hastily thought out idea, and they are trying to establish it in a similar manner, hastily and ill thought!

Salaries are increasing as are benefits world wide from the pilot shortage - not forthcoming shortage, but the one that exists now. Any operator needing immediate crew will now need to up the packages, which will include a lifestyle component cost.

Hong Kong salaries were very good at one point, (A Scale) and reflected exactly what needed to be paid to get experienced crew into Hong Kong.

B scale pilots are not well paid, in fact salaries equate to about the upper half of UK salaries. Where it looks good is in the lower tax rate, but you can arrange that in the UK anyway.

It will be interesting to see how many guys Dragon gets to fly these planes. I imagine that if people hold out, then both the salary and conditions will improve. After all it must be cheaper to pay decent salaries than to have 2 747's on the ground.

[rollercoaster]

I was interviewed at Gatwick on 2nd Feb and so far have heard nothing. Anyone else interviewed around the same time heard / not heard ?

[Jumpster]

Interviewed on the same day, have not been contacted yet. Was told at the interview that they would get back to me within a week, still waiting.

[recirc]

I was also interviewed on the 2nd of Feb at LGW and like you guys have heard nothing...
(I was told they'd be in touch shortly after the 15th of Feb)

[Flap 5]

So what's new? It's still being run like a flying club. But then, maybe that's an insult to flying clubs.

[rollercoaster]

I took the time and trouble to go to their interview, the least they could do is respond within the time scale they promised. Dosent bode well.

[Don Quixote]

Just give them a call and find out. Thats what I did a few years ago after not hearing from them after the interviews. They said yes, you made it.

[seagul]

Just received email that i passed % they want me for a sim /interview however no date set yet. They will be intouch?

[shady]

I think any prospective Dragonair pilot should ask himself a few basic questions. What is the communication from this company like at the moment? Do I think that it will get better once I join?

There will be no contracts in the post and nobody will be offered jobs. Not until the company have sorted out :

1) The salary. At the moment it is still under discussion with the Dragonair pilots union, and until this is resolved there is no agreement, and nothing can be offered until this is resolved.

2) Flight time limitations /crew operating rosters. Dragonair is a short haul operation going global. They have no published flight time agreement with the Civil Aviation Dept of HK, as to how they are to implement their current FTL's.

Tax will be at the UK rate, oh yes, unless you've lived in HK for 7 years plus!

If you are a young person who can take a risk with his career, then the KA freighter looks like an option . Its more than likely that when the Hong Kong Dragonair pilots are released to the freighter (according to seniority), then you will be offered a job in Hong Kong as an f/o.

As a type rated captain, after the expiry of your initial contract, the prospect of joining the KA seniority as a first officer would be harder to swallow.

It all depends on your current position.

[seagul]

Shady a couple of questions.
1 Whats this about uk tax?
2 Is there a good deal of interest from mainline pilots to go to freighters when they can?
3 Company are talking about 2-3yrs to Command?
cheers

[Fly747]

Hey shady, why so negative? I've got the offer, I know when I start and what the pay and conditions are. It may not be fully worked out with regards rosters etc but I'd rather take my chance and be in at the beginning of what should be a great opportunity.

[Amazon man]

FLY 747
I have passed the first interview and I am waiting on a date for the second.

Any possibilty of you being able to let me know what the second interview consisted of and what sort of technical questions were asked. In addition if possible what the sim ride involved.

Many thanks

[headset]

As yet there is no agreement between the Dragonair pilots and management over the MAN based 747 operation.

My spies tell me that no agreement may be reached due to managment wanting 'cheap' labour and pilots insisting current contracts must apply.

If no agreement is reached, that means that all the 747 guys will be on their own in regards of seniority list and contracts.

That may be a good thing for command prospects.

There are however negatives, and I am sure we can all imagine what they are, when dealing with a company management half a world away, with different views and objectives.

[Fly747]

Amazon, 2nd interview straight forward general tech and airmanship type questions no 747 questions and not much help from having read Big Jets yet again! Sim was A320 no FD or autothrust. Climb to 2500ft 250kts radar for ILS go around to engine failure not expected to know drills and then SE ILS raw data again to land.
Job offer by the way is from Flight Crew Services (H.K.) ltd a fully owned subsidiary of Dragon Airlines Ltd. If no agreement from DPA then I guess its going ahead anyway and we'll be kept separate until there is agreement.
No mention of bond so it will have to remain attractive to keep people in the increasingly good job market.

[headset]

Gen Info.

Bonds are illegal in HK law. As the company is a HK based one then they cannot impose bonds on new joiners.


Headset

[Haggis]

Fly747

Can you drop me an email, I also start with
Dragonair on the MAN 747F operation on 1st June.

My email address is [email protected]

[headset]

Just wondering,
Anyone been offered LHS or are all job offers RHS.

Headset

[xdc9er]

DOES anybody know if KA hires expat F/O's.
May the force be with with you! :)

[Fly747]

Amazed that your question displays so little knowledge. A few local pilots but mainly Ex-pats.

[xdc9er]

Thanks anyway, just testing the waters to get an idea of whats to be expected in that region, in general ( very broad terms) would you say that the expats are well received?

[Flap 5]

The Chinese management within Dragonair tolerate expat pilots as they provide the necessary workforce to do the job at the moment. However they are looking to localise the pilot force as soon as possible and have started up a cadet pilot scheme to do just that.

There is still a need for expat pilots but their days are numbered and they are now only taken on on a B scale salary basis. Although this compares quite favourably with the UK on a direct exchange basis it is quite poor for the rather high cost of living in Hong Kong.

[xdc9er]

Thank you for your reply Flap 5, Would you happen to know of conditions at CNA ( China Northern),as I have several friends who have been offered positions at that company , on expat terms,(still in the negotiating phase).Rgrds xdc9er.

[xdc9er]

Hey Fly usually a person asks a question to gain more knowledge! :eek:

[Flap 5]

xdc,

I hope your friends are the adventurous types! China is a funny place. Some things are easily dealt with while others, which would appear to be easy, turn out to be incredibly complicated. Once they have seen the terracotta soldiers a few times they will probably have had enough!

[xdc9er]

Thats what I was thinking also, Shenyang is pretty far North of the Border , so to speak, Too close to Beijing!