Calling all Cathay Pacific Pilots

[T-1A Guy]

I am a US Military pilot retiring after 20 year sof service...6,000 TT, 4,000 PIC and expecting my second interview in HK. I think Cathay is a well kept secret in the US and I am trying to get smart on the what the second interview is like? What the life style is like for a new guy commuting from the USA. I would appreciate any info that someone in the company can give :D

[rhinodriver]

The best advice I can give you is prepare for what you know you can control and blow off what you can't. The interview process was quite trying.

You can control how you do on the sim ride so spend time looking at that stuff. I recommend a prep even if you don't think you need one. I would have been totally lost had I not done it. The best deal I have heard of is at Boeing in Seattle. I did mine at Pan AM in MPLS and thought they sucked. By the way, I didn't feel like I did very good in the sim but still got hired. You can also control how you interview. Take a look at the CX website and print out the fleet, receint press releases and company history. Take note of the companies bottom line for the last few years. Notice that they have never furloughed a pilot. All good talking points during the interview. Obviously you will need to know the technical questions as well but make the extra effort to show your true interest in the company. If you have ever lived overseas try to talk about how it was a great experience and how you would welcome the opportunity to do it again.

Stuff you can't really control. Either you will pass the medical or you will not so don't sweat it. The math test is hard but you should probably not waste your time studing that and just spend that time looking over the above mentioned stuff. Don't sweat the psycology test. As long as you finish and you are not a psyco killer you'll be fine.

Most importantly for you... Here are some things that I have heard from retiring military guys that didn't get the job. During the interview they will focus on how you think (or more importantly how they think) you will adapt from giving orders in your position of athority to being a lowly FO. I don't think FO's are lowly or anything (I'm going to be one) but that is how they will make it sound to see how you will react. Also since you have been in for 20 years if you have never held Command they will want to know why. Think about how you will answer questions like these so they don't surprise you if they ask.

I'm finishing out my 12th year and currently on deployment in the Gulf while I wait for my training date. I spent a long time preparing but now I have my dream job.

Good luck.

[T-1A Guy]

rhinodriver...many thanks for all the information. One more question...I am preparing for the technical side and I keep hearing that they ask specific 747 questions. Having never flown that airplane or the Airbus...do they really expect you to answer system questions on these aircraft? I can understand them asking if you had flown them in the past etc. Having said that ...where do you get this info...short of getting hold of a 747 tech order? Again thanks for taking the time to reply.

[rhinodriver]

I got a couple of 747 questions in the first interview (fuel system gen overview, and winglets specific to 744) and the fuel system on A340. There were no questions about 744 or anything else CX flys in my second interview although I'm sure this varies with who is interviewing you that day. I did get the standard recce of the model on the desk though. They did delve into some of the stuff I have flown in the past. I fly the super hornet right now and got to explain the flight control system. I also flew the S-3 Viking in a former life and got explain the advantages of the tapered high aspect ratio wing and anhedral effect of the high wing. That probably about reached his limit of technical expertise on those. Point being, bone up a bit on systems of stuff you have flown in the past. If the technical guy knows something about that airplane he will probably ask.

As for study material... I read the standard book "Handling the Big Jets" and then used the "gouge" that is posted on this sight almost exclusively. It got me the job! I also made a list of every question that I had ever heard was used for both the technical and human resource side. I think I had like 200 technical and 150 HR questions and answers. I'd email them to you but I didn't bring them to the boat with me. PM me your email.

[Hellenic aviator]

Hey T-1A Guy,
If you can get your hands on "Handling the Big Jets" by D.P. Davies, that will help also. Surf through PPRUNE on previous posts, there's some info on what others have been asked recently in their interviews.
Best of luck and hope to see see you out on the line with us ! :ok:

[T-1A Guy]

Thanks Guys...I appreciate the words. Got the book "handling the big jets". Currently I have been reading the books I was given 20 years ago to read...Weather for Aircrews and Aerodynamics for Pilots. They both turn out to be really good books :)
What do you guys know about commuting from the states and life during the first year or so. I know CX now flies into Dallas, TX....could you jump on and start a trip there?

[junior_man]

You would be entering as a DEFO and that would mean a US base. LAX, ATL, ANC, ORD or JFK. DFW may become a base later on.

[Hellenic aviator]

What do you guys know about commuting from the states and life during the first year or so. I know CX now flies into Dallas, TX....could you jump on and start a trip there?
It is Company policy, that are are not allowed to jumpseat (like the U.S. carriers) on our Freighters. I had asked why about 6 years ago, and was told that it was an insurance liability...although, our Crew Controllers will schedule you to duty-travel on our Freighter if you are required to be at a particular port to start your trip. As well, I also was told by another Manager that our CAD (Civil Aviation Dept) disallowed us - whatever the real reason, we can't.
The only jumpseat you are allowed on CX planes is on the pax fleet, however, once again, unlike the U.S. carriers where if there's an empty seat in the cabin, you get to fly for free, with CX you'll need to purchase a ticket at industry discount rate.
We do have agreements with other carriers as well as most U.S. carriers.
Post 9/11, I have jumpseated on Airtran, Southwest, the occasional American and America West.

[T-1A Guy]

You guys are great! This stuff is all very new to me...when you say jumpseat on US carriers....you show up to the airport, lets say San Antonio, TX and ask to jumpseat with SWA to Chicago...and if there is room onboard ...on you get?
Getting to the point! I am trying to figure out whether when comparing pay between CX and other US carriers....do I have to assume that I will pay the cost of getting to one of the pilot hubs each trip and is that a full price or a discount fare? For example, I am based out of LAX....do I pay $500 each time I make a trip? Can I jump on a US carrier and jumpseat? or is there some super secret cheap deal that everyone knows about?
Sorry for the ignorant questions...just trying to plan out, how much Raman noodles I will have to buy for the family next year should I get hired :)

[junior_man]

Reciprocal jumpseat agreements exist between most US and some Canadian carriers. Meaning that you can go to another airline and either ride in the back or the cockpit (with certain restrictions since 9/11).
Pilots of other foreign carriers typically do not have jumpseat agreements. Most US carriers do allow the Captain the discretion to still let you jumpseat, but as you can't offer them a ride in return, some may say no. Also, you will not be able to ride in the cockpit so there has to be a seat in the cabin available. So if you were to try and commute this way, you may have to buy a pass for the occasions that you are denied the jumpseat.
Better yet, live where you are based. Commuting sucks. It can be stressful during holidays when the planes are full or when the weather is bad. It has become commonplace in the USA as the instability since deregulation has resulted in pilots having to change bases or airlines a number of times. But it is also like having a part time job in addition to your airline job.