macau interview

[austra1998]

hi,

have to go for interview in a cupple of days, was wandering if anyone would have any updated infos on what they are asking regarding written, oral and sim test.

any help, much appreciated,

alex

[BUSTRASH]

sim test is traffic pattern visual no autopilot,v1 cut vordme single engine raw data missed, single eng ils raw data full stop.
Oral they ask toda,tora mea, arp, memory items limitations, written is taken out of old airbus question bank. Pfd test, and general avitaion is old Faa atp .
Before you come, count on 20000usd bond paid in advance and average 6months to get realeased, no pay at all except 40.00usd a day and hotel.
You must be patient.
Check airmen instructors very nice,very willing to help. Once on the line soemof the senior guys who are disgruntled take it out on new f/o s and forgetting were they come from.
Macau very small and average apartment costs 1200usd.
Good job if you have no experience, good time builder. with current condition, they dont attract guys with time on type unless they have other limitations like english or medical.
If you buy some of the guys tthat recently got released a few beers and take them for a famous macau massage, you could get all the info.
Good luck and welcome

[Bus Junkie]

A guy who worked at our company was over there last year. Being a non smoker he couldn't take all the smoking on the flightdeck. His story, curious if it is true?

[austra1998]

thank yuo very much for the infoes....just one question, what is pfd test?
and do yuo know where can i found the old airbus question bank?

thanks again,

alex

[BUSTRASH]

if you did your training at simcenter tell them to put you into contact with some of their grads who are currently with Air Macau. Boose and girls will get you free interview prep

[austra1998]

would love to boose up those guys...but did not do the rating at simcenter.

any other option to get in contact with this guys?

let me know...and you will get a few too :)

[austra1998]

oh...almost forgot....what the hell is pfd test?

it worries me that i do not even know what it means.

thanks bustrash...

alex

[austra1998]

can you please tell me more about point number 4?

thanks
alex

[BUSTRASH]

On 22March elections were held in Taiwan. The opposition KMT won the election. The president elect named Ma has said in his election campain that if elected direct flights between Taiwan and China would begin in June 2008 as weekend charters, Dec2008 as daily charters and June 2009 as open skies. Air Macau current market is 70% percent Taiwan.
They have 3 options.
1.Wet lease half the fleet to other carriers
2.Return the excess aircraft to the lessor.
3.Lay off crews,ground staff in all stations.
In a perfect world they would just start opening new cities and markets but Air Macau does not have the capability to expand open new markets and compete un less they merge with a foreign carrier with actual smart executives with the know how on how to run a airline and make it profitable. On the other side and what a shocker our COO from China has resigned one week prior to elections in Taiwan.
Just remember prior to joing this is a day by day operation. Everybody has orders for new aircraft and fleet expansion, AirMacau is getting 3 old airplanes from ANA for example.
This is the reality today, maybe some good news later.

[zhuhai-itcouldfly]

Bustrash,

You sound like a smart airline executive. When you gave the 3 options you sound so credible. How about you run Air Macau? Hail to Bustrash!:}

[tonylollo]

Well if Air Macau did not know that this was coming then more fool them.
Then the managment there must be total idiots. Bet Dragonair has made contingency plans. Incredible really and somewhat sad as Macau has one of the fastest GDPs in the area, and to think that the National Carrier cannot cash in on this, although hear their profits rose last year. What it needs is an agressive forward thinking Commercial Department and it could be one of the top Operators in the area, not sure that this is going to happen, Oh well for all of those of you who have been griping and moaning, maybe your minds will be made up for you..... good luck guys:uhoh::uhoh:

[Arrowhead]

austra1998 - as per Gromguttens post, dont bother coming. If you start (which you wont), you'll never finish.

Bus Junkie - yes. Smoking is banned in the cockpit now. But only sometimes, it seems.

So here's the scoop:
NX was taking heat from politicans to open new routes. MAX created with 6 A320s on order. No one expected anyone progress (it is a local company after all), so its was given some good routes and told to slowly get on with it. Silly expat mgmt did a good job and got it ready. NX was then compelled to tell CA what it was up to. CA asked what on earth NX was doing. NX told to stop, but already had aircraft on order. But cant kill it since routes would go to VIVA. So NX keeps paying the ex-DFO from NX at MAX to keep the politicians and VIVA off NX's back, and keep MAX in a zombie state.

BUT first 2 acft coming early 08 from ANA/Aircastle. NX decides to take the acft for Japan routes. By not giving them to MAX, it keeps MAX in a zombie state a little longer (it needs them for the AOC), and it saves some money by haveing them in the air. BUT the config is all economy, no GPS, no RVSM, lbs not KG, CFM not IAE, and maintenance records in Japanese (not acceptable to AACM). NX mgmt decides "this is okay" and works to solve all of the above. NX maintenance sent to CTU for CFM training. Flt Ops update manuals updated for MSN 138 and 139. Chief Pilot told to hire 30 more FOs and 15 more command upgrades. Everyone told to expect 2 MAX A320s starting March (for May operations) and 1 other order (due Sep). Pilots sent to flight test these first 2 ANA acft in Japan.

BUT no aircraft delivered as promised on 17 March. Lessor saying Aircastle no longer involved. Aircraft reported to be in North America. NX deal for all 6 aircraft reported cancelled. However, flt ops internally has still not been told the aircraft are cancelled. Pilots still being hired. No-one knows anything. I leave you to guess who is right and who is wrong.

Did the NX CEO finally see that cross-straits is coming? Did he finally see that 70%+ of NX business is set to disappear within 12 months (or less)??? In preparation for cross straits, NX is "adding Tokyo, Nagoya and Sapporo later this year". However, is it just coincidence that VIVA has applied to fly to all of these?? Is this Phuket and Davao all over again? Can a 321 even make it back from Sapporo non-stop?

Also should NX staff be confident in the ability of its commercial department? (Judge by their success over the last five years). How are relations between Chinese and Japanese authorities and airlines anyway? Has NX upset ANA by not taking delivery of these 6 acft, and if so has that damaged NX's chances of ever flying more to Japan?

Can NX "grow and advance to a new and better stage" while siumultaneously losing cross-strait flights?

My guess, things will get a lot worse towards the end of this year, with far fewer passengers, and no new routes. Perhaps some wet leases, but still means layoffs next year. But then, maybe I am missing something....

[BUSTRASH]

Maybe if you come up to bat with a A300-600 rating you might have a better chance of getting thru. The latest batch of A300-600 has either jumped ship, gone on vacation and never come back or failed the Icao english test.

[Arrowhead]

Forgot to say that NX Cargo is totally buggered since it has been almost exclusively cross-straits. So the A300 is dead too. Sorry. Unless you think the "strategic back up plan" has any value.

On the pax side, I see NX is talking about 5x weekly to KIX from 25 April, leading to daily from July. Also "Daily flight to Tokyo expected to start 16 July". Mmmmmm we'll see. What about Nagoya and Sapporo?????

[wayne's tache]

Arrowhead,

Your assessment validates what I have been hearing. Seems like legal action is being threatened by the leasing entities on the ANA aircraft and that MAX is no clearer on why it exists as an airline (beyond its status as a Viva blocker). Yet another business plan is underway, no doubt with newly unrealistic numbers and forecasts.

I see too that Viva has been trying to ratchet up the pressure in the local press recently on NX, which is either a sign of growing confidence or increasing desperation.

Direct links - talked about for ages but perhaps finally with a more-than-average chance of actually occurring on a sustained basis. Like you say, this would mean an immediate cash crunch at NX. With the quality of management available to them (as well as the confused shareholder direction) their options look extremely limited. It could all be very messy.

[Hazel250]

Hi All,
AMU is getting down!
Regarding the 2 "new" aircraft expected: Bull s...!
Since long time we know they will not come. It was just a strategy to block MAX.
Now Amu has to pay a fine for not taking those aircraft from the lessor.
Nice Mr FD! You'r the best manager I ever seen in my life! I believe that some groceries shop are better
manage than AMU (finiancially speaking).
Now some rumours about Mr FD cheating on the yearly fuel consumption .
An extra board meeting was organize regarding that small management mistake.
Straits flight...AMU was waiting for the election's result (a 3 year old child knew that since long time), to
set up a 2 years strategy...2 years for an airline company. Short sight Mr FD.! no?
Now we have another problem: the airport's parking. As usual AMU is not doing anything to
solve the problem. And again, we will have to pay 800MOp/month, with no increase of our transportation fees,
For the new guys:
Get you 500 Hours on type and run away to Tiger Australia, Silk Air, Qatar, Vietnam Airlines, Tiger Singapore,
Air Asia, Emirates or Ethiad etc...
There is no more future for pilot in AMU.
We discover now that Mr D, VPFO, has a personnel deal with Simcenter. Every new guy hired , bling bling,
10 000 USD in his pocket. That's why Amu is still hiring 28 more guy from Simcenter, regardless of the future of the company.
Paiement is immediate on hiring...Casino! The guy is not eating rice anymore!
In the past, a lot of critics were made on ex VPFO, cause of a deal with Eagle jet.
Today it's same **** , even worst!
To the experienced F/O, also it's time to move, promotion have to be forget! For sure not in AMU!
The new bond is 20 000 USD for 3 years.
Yesterday a Spanish F/O run away from AMU, like previously a belgium F/O did.I know already that a
portugese F/O will leave soon.One Brazilian and one Portugese Capt resign a few days ago.
They realise that the ship is sinking!
About training: In the past AMU had a famous bulldog in the sim Mr Cab. yelling , screaming,
sometime insulting new F/O...but he knew what he was talking about!
Today the ghsot is back, with the super intsructor Mr F.
it's not acceptable! That guy disrespect the profession, and even worst he doesn't know what's
he is talking about .I don't understand how AACM inspector Mr O.did approve Mr F. as AACM instructor.
It's a shame for the profession.
Anyway , if you are the best friend of Mr D., you are protected by the gods!
F:mad:ck F., D.,FD..and AMU!

[BUSTRASH]

Even though most of the info sounds true, we can tell your a Capt VC lover.

[BUSTRASH]

Oh by the way the sim center deal is immpossible. The typerating in simcenter cost 12500usd, there not gonna give 10000usd commission.i know the owner and hes is too cheap to do anything like that. The eagle jet guys paid about 50000usd so there was much more room for commission for MR VC.
Its funny how the Old guys are advising the new guys to leave. Gentleman, we like it or not, this is a Chinese airline and chinese management will always have control, Macau is no longer a colony of a european country.
If you not happy with the current management, well get used to it because its staying. Dont take out your anger on the simcenter supremes.

[Hazel250]

Bushtrash is the representant of Simcenter, that's why! :eek:
Maybe not 10000, but there is a lot of black money under the table!
I'm not a lover of VC, but the fact is that at his time it was much better regarding many things!
I agrre, today , and for the rest of the time .....It'll be chinese...
Don't say that all chinese company are manage like this...:=

[BUSTRASH]

Trust me. I wish I was the simcenter rep. As far as Taiwan, Signapore or Hong Kong companies, they are probably managed better. But if you compare Air Macau to China Eastern, Air China, Shandong,Xiamen, East Star, Shicuan,China Southern ,Shenzen, Jade,Shanghai,Spring etc etc the only thing there better at is not giving power to a woman like we have here.