Cathay Pacific Cadet Pilot Programme

[THE_WING]

Hello all,

AsL402 was very kind to share with us a list of questions asked in the CX interview. I have a few answers for the same (source - internet). If anyone wants to make any corrections, please feel free or PM me. Once again, thanks for your inputs and happy flying.

Q. What are the runways of the HK airport
A. 7L and 25R, 7R and 25L

Q. What is the other name of the HK airport
A. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport because it was built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation and to be able to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak airport.

Q. How many pilots does CX employ
A. I honestly don't know where to find that information but I found the total number of CX staff as on March 2010 and that number is 18324.

Q. How many planes are in their fleet
A. Passenger - 97 in service and 21 on order
Cargo - 24 in service and 10 on order

Q. What European destinations does CX fly to
A. AMS, CDG, LHR, FRA, MXP, and FCO

Q. Which new destination to Europe was recently announced
A. DME CX207/206 (begins July 13, 2010)

Q. What happened on April 13 with the CX A330
A. On 13 April 2010, Cathay Pacific Flight 780, an Airbus A330-342 (B-HLL) from Surabaya, Indonesia requested an emergency landing at Hong Kong International Airport with dual engine problem. All four tires on the left-hand main gear, and two on the right, deflated as the aircraft landed in high speed and high energy braking. On board the flight were 309 passengers and 13 crew. 8 passengers were injured with no fatalities.

Q. Who were the founders of CX and when
A. The airline was founded on 24 September 1946 by American Roy C. Farrell and Australian Sydney H. de Kantzow, with each man (ex-air force pilots) putting up HK$1 to register the airline. They named it Cathay Pacific because Cathay was the ancient name given to China; and Pacific because Farrell speculated that they would one day fly across the Pacific.

Any feedback appreciated.

[learfo]

I agree with Phil T. Its just like asking a girl out. Don't be shy. I'm short about 163cm. I went through my whole aviation academics thinking no one would hire me cause I'm so short. Working for CX was my dream. I went through 2 cadet interviews and never got the job. But its ok. Now that I think about it, I don't think I would fit in. This just goes to show you, things happen for a reason. If you're the right fit for them then you'll get hired. They're happy and I'm happy. Surely, you'll be competing with peeps with experience. But don't ever let that shatter your dreams. Always remember, failure is the beginning of success. I'm flying corporate now on a G-IV. Airline is not for everyone. There are always other options out there. I went through an aviation college in the US and instructed for 3 years. Nothing in this world felt more rewarding then watching my students do their first solos. On top of that. You really find out who you really are. Go do it. Do what ever it takes to do what you want. Remember if a job feels like a job. Then its just a job. Most of the people in this forum forgot where they come from. They forget they wouldn't mind flying for free. Hell some jobs almost paid next to nothing. That is ashame that the industry got to where it did today. There will be problems where you work, and the grass always seems greener on the other side. Make your choices carefully. Times have change. Contracts change. Just be glad most of us lucky ones have jobs. The way I see it, there are choices in life you must make that you will have to live with. Take it or leave it is all the airlines motto. After all, we are all replaceable by people that are willing to do it cheaper that you.

[arflyingman]

G'day guys, did my 1st stage in Brisbane. I have had experience in C172/C172RG's hence the C172 questions. Also dodged questions related to HK since I've stayed there for a while.

· How does a CSU work?
· How does the fuel system of the C172 work?
· What is the engine/hp of a C172?
· Parents thoughts on moving to Hong Kong?
· Why become a pilot, what do you like about it?
· Describe your flying career to date.
· Are you currently working?
· What do you do in your spare time?
· What are your plans if CX will NEVER accept you?
· Are you interested in instructing at FTA?
· What planes does FTA use to train cadets?
· Course is 61 weeks, do you get a salary for it, if so how much? Will you be alright with it?

· What licences do you come out with?
· Roles of S/O in CRZ and T/O and LDG.
· What are the fleets of CX?
· What engines are fitted on what A/C?
· How large is CX’s fleet.
· Are there anymore on order and if so how many and what are they?
· Identify this A/C.
· Where does CX fly to in North America? (They seemed happy with just PAX ports)
· What type fly which routes?
· Which year was CX formed?
· What type was their 1st A/C?
· What was the name of their 1st A/C?
· What are your strengths?
· Which areas you believe you need improvement?
· How did you prepare for this interview?
· What impression do you want to leave us? Use only 1 word.
· Have you have any major confrontations with other people so far in life?
· What is ISA temperature @ SL?
· What is the ELR?
· How high is the tropopause?
· What should the temperature be at the tropopause under ISA conditions?
· An A/C was flying at 38000’ (FL380) and OAT was -40 Degrees. What should the OAT be according to ISA? Is it warmer or colder than ISA? By how much?
· Where is FTA located?
· Which aerodrome does FTA use?
· What class of airspace is it?
· Points to model of a A320 and asks to identify it, then points at winglets and asks what are they.
· What is the purpose of winglets?
· What is induced drag? How and why does it vary with A/S?
· Name of Hong Kong’s Airport, in English and Chinese

On the whiteboard were 2 questions
· GS was 540kts, distance was 63nm, how many minutes to go?
· Ground temp was 29 degrees, cloud base was 2000’. What is temperature of a parcel of air @ 4000’ using DALR and SALR?

They will also go through all the questions you got wrong in the technical MCQ with you.
Good luck guys.

[lman]

hey all!

my email layout seems very different from what everyone has.
it is
nterview Process
During the stage 1 assessment, you are required to complete the following selection sessions:
· Job Knowledge Test (45 minutes)

· Reasoning Test (45 minutes)

· Wombat-CS Test (Situational awareness)

· Personality Test (30 minutes)

· Interview (General + Technical)(45 minutes) Technical questions will based on the Job Knowledge booklet attached and further gauged to the individual’s experience level

I am not sure what this mean. I don't have a presentation and it seems like it is not as intense as the ones that has been mentioned.

[silentscope]

stage 2 in hkg on the 23jun anyone?

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

Hi,

myhitomi,

A CSU is an abbreviation for a constant speed unit, this is a system which consists of a govenor which physically changes the blade angle (and hence AoA) of the propellor to maintain an RPM which is set by the pilot. As forward speed increases (or decreases) the relative airflow experienced by the propeller (component of fwd speed and plane of rotation) changes. A CSU will ensure that the propeller is operating at the correct AoA for efficient operation at a given RPM.

To put this into perspective.

You are in your C182 maintaining 2400RPM in the cruise, you then bring the throttle back, the blade angle will automatically lessen (less torque) such that the prop-engine can maintain 2400RPM. Generally, a fine (low) blade angle will lead to a high RPM and increased power response, a coarse (high) blade angle will lead to a low RPM (due to the propeller having to 'cut' through a much larger mass of air for the same engine manifold pressure)

If you need any clarification please just ask:)

Now that ive helped you, would you please be able to give me some info about life in Hong Kong etc...? :)

EDIT: It seems 'myhitomi' deleted his/her post, however ill leave this description up here in case anyone else might need it.

[THE_WING]

Thank you @arflyingman, @Roxy_chick_1989

For @Iman - There is no harm preparing for any extra questions. Any doubts, don't hesitate to take. We're more than happy to help. Please do update your CX experience with us. Thank you and all the best

[myhitomi]

Thx..Roxy Chick,

I've found some information regarding CSU in wikipedia..That's why I deleted my post..

What aspect of Hong Kong do you want to know?

I think I can shed some light ..haha

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

Can anyone confirm whether the changes to stage 1 as suggested by lman, are infact correct and apply to all candidates applying worldwide?

What aspect of Hong Kong do you want to know?

What does a litre of milk cost in hong kong?
What do 21year olds do in HK?
What are the best 'parts' of HK?
What effect does pollution have on everyday lifestlye?
Do you feel safe walking the streets of HK at night?
What is the opinion of CX by HK residents?

I have plenty more, but ill start with those.

[myhitomi]

My stage 1A is different to that of Iman

My schedule is like:

English Test (Listening & Grammar)
Reasoning Test
Aptitude Test (Eye-hand co-ordination)
English Oral Presentation (Maximum 5 minutes)

HK applicants will only do Job Knowledge Test & first interview in Stage 1B , personality test in stage 2...and I have no idea what the wombat test is (anyone can help me with it?)

Our schedule looks quite different, so I think CX has changed their schdeule for people interviewed overseas.

[myhitomi]

What does a litre of milk cost in hong kong?
around HKD$20

What do 21year olds do in HK?
A 21 year old man probably is doing his final year in university (for those well-educated people) and looking for jobs.

What are the best 'parts' of HK?
Best part...ummm..To me, HK is so tiny that driving is not necessary. You can go almost everywhere by public transports

What effect does pollution have on everyday lifestlye?
Pollution doesn't affect me at all and is not that serious. However, the pollution may harm people with heart/lung diseases.

Do you feel safe walking the streets of HK at night?
Absolutely safe

What is the opinion of CX by HK residents?
CX to me is a well-managed airline that she can always survive any kinds of hard time and take appropiate actions (but not compromise the quaility of services)

[THE_WING]

@myhitomi

For the WOMBAT Test - please refer to Presentation of WOMBAT (http://www.aero.ca/e_W-Presentation.html) for more details.

Thanks

[arflyingman]

What are the best 'parts' of HK?
It's a city with world class quality and varirty of food, transportation is good and shopping is excellent.

What effect does pollution have on everyday lifestlye?
If you don't have any respiratory disease/asthma you should be fine. Pollution isn't the hardest part imo.

Do you feel safe walking the streets of HK at night?
You will have no problems with regards to that. There's pretty much people everywhere anytime. To be honest I feel safer walking in HK at night compared to Brisbane. And apparaently HK is ranked 5th in no. of police / capita. They arrive in no time if you need them (unlike *cough* brissy*).

What is the opinion of CX by HK residents?
Can't speak for the whole but the general concenus of my family and friends is that it's a good company that looks after its employees. Having said that the aviation industry is NOT well known to the general public and those here who work for the company could paint us a more accurate picture.

[holdmetight]

What do 21year olds do in HK?

21 year olds in HKG are drastically different from the ones in Australia. For one thing, very few people in HKG will have actual work experience at that age; having experienced high workloads and pressure from academics since primary school. Pastimes are also very different - activities are very indoor-based. For example, hanging around in the mall, watching movies, roaming the streets/shops, playing video games, etc. Most do not engage actively in outdoor or sporting activities. A typical 21 year old can be identified as a person who is of slight build, usually very skinny. Most are excessively well groomed with a lavishly-styled hairdo out of a fashion magazine, and sports multiple articles of branded apparell. They are usually seen with their ears plugged into an MP3 device, or their eyes glued to a PSP/NDS game console.

What are the best 'parts' of HK?

Convenient, and efficient public transport. Everything is easily within reach - food, entertainment, clothes, you name it. The nightlife is vibrant and you could stay out all night and not get bored. Stuff in HKG can be cheap (depending on whether you know where to look) and the variety of food available is amazing.

What effect does pollution have on everyday lifestlye?

For any healthy person, I would say none. You will need some time to adjust if you are from Australia, but you definitely would not need to carry an oxygen bottle and mask with you whenever you go out. The urban areas will have the worst air quality for obvious reasons (pollution being trapped within the skyscrapers), but there are also areas that provide for easier breathing (such as the New Territories or the outlying islands). That being said though, as mentioned before if you have respiratory problems, the quality of air in HKG might be too much for you.

Do you feel safe walking the streets of HK at night?

Absolutely. With so many people in town, 24/7, you wouldn't stand a chance of getting mugged or worse.

What is the opinion of CX by HK residents?

That is hard to answer, you would get 6,000,000 different answers if you asked all the people in HKG. My opinion though, is that locals here will always think of Cathay as an international yet local brandname, and its reputation in HKG will always stay somewhat positive because of its involvement in numerous activities and community efforts. While it is true that the company has suffered a lot of negative publicity as of late, but its outstanding marketing measures should ensure that HKG residents will still think positively of Cathay Pacific.

[carpediem293]

For Roxy_Chick_1989,

My interview schedule is the same as Iman's. Fyi, I m a HK applicant. My guess is that interviews for overseas applicants follow a different format.

[AsL402]

Maybe it's a new format for all new applicants, regardless if they are Local or International?

[CX888]

I think so , I have the same layout as IMAN... Is nyone here going to NYC interview on June 14? Please let me know....

This is what they sent me:

Interview with both personal and technical quesions 45min

Technical multiple choice questionaire 45 min

A personality assestment 30 min

The wombat pilot aptitude test 90 min

Does anyone know If I'm going to have any English gramar test or math test (algebra, trigonometry, etc) for the Initial interview?

Thanks
CX888

[T-Mass]

Air pollution having no effect on everyday lifestyle? Study up on it boyz, and don't try to sugar coat it! The interviewers know what air pollution in HKG is. Healthy persons will eventually suffer from it. Wheezing, coughing, sore throat, itchy eyes etc. Symptoms are not much different than due to other allergens. If air quality index is poor, stay inside, limit outdoor exercise and so on. I understand few of you have kids, but consider the probability of raising kids in a polluted environment.

By no means is this to push you away from an opportunity with CX, rather giving you a heads-up on a subject that should not be overlooked. Millions live in HKG happily, as would you, but to disregard air pollution or to limit its effects to the old and sick, is doing a disservice to yourself.

[CX888]

What date are you going to NYC for the initial?

I'm going on june 14th... Do you know anything about english or math test?

CX888

[holdmetight]

The WOMBAT Test eh? I played with it once during my work tenure with an Australian airline. The test basically tests your ability to multi-task and keep everything under control for a prolonged time. A link to a WOMBAT website posted above is very good, take a look to find out about the exact nature of the tasks. My advice to those who are about to do the test is to remember that this is to test your MULTI-TASKING so keep an eye out on everything that is happening at all times. Whenever the Autotrack starts failing, you must take control and position the cursor inside the box immediately, even though you were doing another task. Finally sit back, relax and enjoy, because the WOMBAT test is actually quite a lot of fun... you shouldn't end up braindead after finishing!

Does anyone know if applicants doing Stage 1 in HKG need to do this?

[Airman1985]

I'm going to Hong Kong for their stage 1 interview on 6/29. I believe I also have to take the same test. An e-mail I received from Cathay stated the following:

· Job Knowledge Test (45 minutes)
· Reasoning Test (45 minutes)
· Wombat-CS Test (Situational awareness)
· Personality Test (30 minutes)
· Interview (General + Technical)(45 minutes) Technical questions will based on the Job Knowledge booklet attached and further gauged to the individual’s experience level

[holdmetight]

For those of you who very recently got invites for Stage 1 in HKG, did you complete this:

English Test (Listening & Grammar)
Reasoning Test
Aptitude Test (Eye-hand co-ordination)
English Oral Presentation (Maximum 5 minutes)


which is the Initial Test (Stage 1A), before being invited for this:

· Job Knowledge Test (45 minutes)
· Reasoning Test (45 minutes)
· Wombat-CS Test (Situational awareness)
· Personality Test (30 minutes)
· Interview (General + Technical)(45 minutes) Technical questions will based on the Job Knowledge booklet attached and further gauged to the individual’s experience level

which, I suspect, is the new Stage 1B?

Or has the latter become the entire Stage 1 process in HKG? Thanks in advance to anyone who can advise.

[Airman1985]

This is going to be my first interview with Cathay; I have not taken any exam with them.

[KateP]

I applied in August 2009 and after a few months of not hearing anything I forgot all about it until I got an email a few weeks ago. Quite surprising!

My interview is July 9th in San Fran, anyone else going then?

How many stages is there before getting selected? How long between stage 1 and start of cadet courses?

Also, anyone know if they give you housing, food, stipend during the 60wks of training? I'm assuming they would, but could not find specific information on their website. And sounds like there is not much to look forward to in the way of compensation and support when/if you start as SO :(.

[johnrico]

For the U.S. guys going on interviews. What flight exp. do ya'all have?

[holdmetight]

Was just curious to know if anyone has any idea on how many pilots are currently employed by CX? I've noticed this could quite easily be asked, though can't track a number down anywhere...

As of a few days ago, the exact number should be 2460, based on information gathered from a thread in the neighbouring Fragrant Harbour forum.

[Em773ER]

Quote: I applied in August 2009 and after a few months of not hearing anything I forgot all about it until I got an email a few weeks ago. Quite surprising!

did you get a phone call or you just got the email?

and yes they pay for your accommodation, food, and apparently you get AUD$100 a week of spending money.

best of luck in your interview :ok:

[Octopus88]

Thanks holdmetight.. You've got an answer for everything:D

[AsL402]

I found this practice numeracy test

Numeracy Test (http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/tests/mathstest.htm)

Anyone know if this would be similar to CX's test for Stage 2?

They're really easy to do with a calculator...but by hand, its very time consuming :*

[holdmetight]

ASL402,

The basic target and concept of the CX test and the online test there are the same, which is to get you to do loads of calculations under time pressure. The format of the questions are not unsimilar either, which is where you are given a scenario and asked to find an answer based on the information provided. It is your typical math exercise for any graduate management job.

However the presentation in both tests are slightly different. In the example you provided, each question has it's own scenario, and there are only a few possible answers to choose from. The Stage 2 test consists of 33 questions, and you get 5-6 different scenarios. Each scenario comprises 5-6 questions. Each question has 16 possible answers to choose from.

You can expect graphs, tables, figures... and you will be given a pencil and pen to do your roughwork on. My advice would be to try your best in the time allotted, and don't dwell on your performance afterwards. I would also not recommend guessing as the chance of actually making an accurate guess is miniscule. Keep in mind that they are not looking for a mathematician, but someone who can perform reasonably accurately and quickly under time pressure.

Hope this helps!

[AsL402]

Thanks holdmetight, that does help me! I guess just like you said, I should get in gear with my math, i really haven't done much since high school...

[pokemon3]

Hi,

Anyone going for the CX stage 2 interview in Hong Kong on the 31May2010 and wish to meet up for some discussion and final preparation on the 30May2010 at Headland Hotel or may be at the Hong Kong Airport Please PM me ya.hope can meet some of u before the stage 2 on the next day.Cheers!:ok:

[funkyt111]

Does anybody know what the medical requirements are for cathay pacific? Are applicants required to have a class one during or after the application if successful or do they do there own medicals out of hong kong?

Cheers

[holdmetight]

You don't need any form of aviation medical before applying - during the course of your assessment, they will arrange medical examinations for your initial Australian and HKCAD Class 1 medicals, and obviously subsequent renewals if you make it into the cadet program. I think you are given a medical check regardless of whether or not you already hold an aviation medical.

[funkyt111]

holdmetight,

Thankyou very much for the reply. Ok thats no problem. How much does the HKCAD Class 1 medicals differ from the JAA Class 1 medicals?

[holdmetight]

How much does the HKCAD Class 1 medicals differ from the JAA Class 1 medicals?

That beats me, though I guess if you can hold a JAA Class 1 medical, you should be able to get the HKCAD one too? Perhaps someone who knows more could shed some light on that one.

[funkyt111]

Ok no problem. The reason I asked is because ive been told by the CAA that I will have to wait like 3 years before I can gain a class 1 due to chemothereapy treatment, although Ive already been in remission for 3 years so thought/hoping Hong Kong may have different regulations.

[Prospective Pilot]

Hello everyone,

I'm in the process of submitting my application and wanted to thank all of you for the information you've provided so far. I'm amazed at how active this thread is. I've been debating which two locations to pick for my initial interview and was hoping some of you could provide a little help. From what I've gathered, most people pick their residential location as their primary choice with HK as the secondary. I just wanted to ask whether the initial trip to HK would be covered by CX. A few posts ago, there was discussion on this issue but that seemed to focus, like CX's website, on stage 1b and beyond. I'm in Toronto right now, so if there are any fellow Torontonians with experience in this regard, some extra info is always aappreciated. Thanks again for all the help, and good luck to all.

[suntorytimo]

I'm 99% sure they aren't going to pay for you to go to Hong Kong for an initial interview.

Also I assume this because I remember reading somewhere that travel and accommodation costs for the first interview are upon the applicant. I would just leave the second choice empty.

Edit - Cathay Pacific - FAQs : Careers (http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_MY/faq/careers/flightcrew) -

"The initial selection process for the Cadet Pilot Programme will take place in Hong Kong and in overseas ports. Cadet candidates are responsible for all related expenses. Short-listed candidates will then be invited to attend a second interview in Hong Kong. We will provide travel and accommodation for the final interview."

[Maiev]

As far as I'm concern, the 1st interview is not covered. I have a friend who had 1st choice as HK, 2nd as Canada. He declined the 1st interview but after a couple more months, he was given the choice of NYC and now he's preparing to go NYC. We're in Toronto as well.

I personally applied as well, but I put first choice as HK since I want the interview asap. If you select anything other than HK, it's going to take awhile but if you're not urgent or desperate, then let them come to you =P

I have a friend who finished CXCPP. He told me he stayed in HK for 6 months during the process. This is only an assumption but if it was paid for, I'm sure he would have returned to Toronto in-between, so my guess is it isn't paid for, but I can ask when he's on :D

[Octopus88]

Hey Guys,

Would anybody PLEASE be able to shed some light on the style of questions asked in the stage 2 maths test. I understand that there's 5/6 scenarios thrown at us with a similar amount of questions asked on each, however are the questions asked related mainly toward graph interpretation etc or is there extensive multiplication/long division required. Just not exactly sure what skills I should be fine tuning...:confused:

Thanks in advance

[Em773ER]

Are candidates allowed to stay at Cathay Pacific's Headland Hotel during stage 1 in HK? (even if they have to pay themselves), and if so do they get discount price?

Thanks anyone who can share some info

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

Has anyone noticed that on the CX website, it states that cadets now spend 61 weeks at FTA? Anyone know why they added the extra week?

[holdmetight]

In the stage 1 interview they ask for a passport photo, anyone know what country size they want or does it matter?

Nah, typically the passport photos provided during interviews are only used to help the recruitment people remember your face. If they wanted you to take any pictures for some official documentation, my guess is they would ask you to do it in Cathay City anyway. Hope this helps.

[nt.pilot]

I really want to do this course but had a look at rent in hk... :( its so freaking expensive! i could live in the nicest part of sydney for that same amount... to live in a tiny apartment in hk... just wondering if this is the case does CX have an allowance for rent? if not how are young cadets living in hk!!?

[holdmetight]

Out of curiousity, which part of HKG are you talking about? The cost of renting an apartment does vary quite significantly from district to district, you know...

[flyhiigh]

Yeah the rent seems very different in different parts of HK, just like other cities. And your first year/years as SO you might consider sharing a bigger appartment with 2-3 others, could be alot of fun! =)

I´m preparing for my stage 1 next week, has anyone done the WOMBAT?

[nt.pilot]

well what are the nice places in hong kong? i was looking at places like discovery bay... the rent is something like 16,000 min..that is half of a second officers monthly wage. are utitlities expensive in hk? and food? thanks for the help!

[nt.pilot]

Coastal Skyline with Seaview (http://www.expatflats.com/property-coastal-skyline-with-seaview-2216-2.html)
What about a place like this? is this a nice area?

[Em773ER]

something that might help :ok:

Hong Kong Property For Rent And For Sale - Hong Kong Realty (http://www.hongkonghomes.com/property_search/search.php?sch_type=1&rt_from=0&rt_to=16000&pr_from=0&pr_to=100000000&size_from=0&size_to=5000&br_from=0&br_to=9&keywords=&sl=0&page=1&rec_per_page=5&sort_by=3&action=1&mode=1&max_page=0&location=0_1,0_1#history_0)

[holdmetight]

The flat in the link you gave is in Tung Chung, which is right next to the airport. The area is home to a lot of aircrew, with food and various amenities well within reach. It is about 30 minutes train ride to the city centre, pubs and nightlife though. Discovery Bay should be out of reach for a new S/O, unless you pitch in and share a place with several other people. This might be a good idea if you want to live in a bigger shoebox, but if you prefer to live alone, I can assure you that reasonably-priced rental accomodation is available in different parts of HKG.

You shouldn't need to fork out an unreasonable sum of money for food and utilities in HKG, so your biggest expenditure by far will be accomodation. Having said that, for the first few years you can expect to retain a bare minimum of your income. Things will gradually improve as you progress up the ladder into the F/O ranks, provided you stay single. Don't come to HKG expecting a lifestyle resembling the one back home, because you won't be able to afford it. Adjust, assimilate and you can definitely learn how to enjoy living in this city.

[nt.pilot]

I know what you mean in terms of not expecting to live the way i would live here over there.... just thinking about it because I still live at home and will be self sufficient if i do the cadetship, my parents would not help me out with rent etc..

But the 'reasonably' prices are in all countries - but what are the actual area's like? If i spent half my wage on rent would the other half say 15,000 HKD be enough to eat, go out, travel on the train to the airport etc...http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/boohoo.gif i would really love to do this but i dont know if i could 'assimilate' to the hk life... it would be very different to my sydney life!

[SMOC]

If you don't like it, just leave, say thanks for the training and find a job else where.

Make sure you get your licences sorted out, your HK ATPL with a P2X rating may be useless for a conversion to another issuing state.

If there is any way possible I'd recommend getting an Aust CPL and MECIR while doing your flying in Adelaide, even if you have to pay for it yourself.

It will give you options in the future if you find CX pay as an S/O to little.

Remember there is no harm in joining and then leaving, if CX won't pay enough what do they expect.

[Dav8rman]

Hi guys - I'm new to this gouge but have skimmed through the highlights. Just wanted to know if the people receiving interviews have previous flight experience? I've seen that this question has been asked multiple times before in this thread but not many have answered.
I just put in my application with CX 3 days ago (have wanted to work for them for YEARS but never knew they hired Expats into their cadet program until - well...3 1/2 days ago :P)! Currently at 1400 TT and 110 Multi - with everthing from Private to MEI. Anyone else with similar qualifications - or am I too overqualified to be competitive? Thoughts..........................anyone?...anyone?....buhle r? :O

[SW1]

No you are not overqualified to answer your question. There are guys and gals with jet time applying for this. Good luck with your application

[Dav8rman]

Hi Khammy87 - I work at Westminster College up in Salt Lake, but I'm a graduate of USU. Have some friends down at UVU as well :) When do you interview with Cathay and how long did it take them to process your app?

[Em773ER]

pay: Cathay Pacific Airways Pilots Salary (http://www.askcaptainlim.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=294:cathay-pacific-airways&catid=33:salary&Itemid=78) <<< i'm not too sure if this is still the same but it should be a rough idea of what to expect.

duties: Free File Hosting - Upload files or images for free - Hide My Ass! (http://hidemyass.com/files/NYTA6/) <<< this pdf file is a cathay pacific S/O guide in detail of what S/Os do on cathay's 747-400.

time at FTA: https://www.pprune.org/fragrant-harbour-wannabes/378978-cathay-pacific-cadet-pilot-programme-30.html << post #595 by holdmetight covers pretty much your time at FTA and what you do.

hope this helps :ok:

[holdmetight]

Just adding some points to what Em773ER has provided...

If my memory serves me right, the salary figures provided in the website are a little off, because they are outdated. The discrepancy between the current figures and the ones in the website is minimal though, so it is still a good indicator of what to expect.

You don't do any instructing at FTA after you graduate - you return to HKG for ground school on whichever fleet they assign you to. I assume you were referring to the CX-FTA Instructor scheme that was launched 2 years ago? I don't think CX will recruit pilots through that channel again.

Finally, I don't think you can find any solid information on upgrade times because it varies with the movements of the pilot body. This, in turn, varies with a lot of factors - company expansion, retirements, etc. Have a look at the "Time to Command" post on the Fragrant Harbour Wannabe forum. While it mainly focuses on time needed for eventual promotion to Captain, you can get an idea of how long it would take for you to reach F/O. In the past it was typically 2-3 years after joining as an S/O. However with retirement age being pushed to 65, it could take longer. Read the post, it's very informative.

[AsL402]

Hello all, just wanted to update everyone with my application status. I did stage 2 yesterday in HK, unfortunately i was rejected and didn't get invited to Stage 3. But I don't feel that i lost much. The whole process was actually really fun after looking back at it now. It also allowed me to find my weaknesses so i know what to prepare for for my next attempt.

As holdmetight stated a number of posts before, if you are looking to apply for Cathay's Cadet Program, make sure you are ready first. I submitted my application last year with little knowledge about the flying. I didn't start the research and reading until I got invited to Stage 1. By then, it was too late. But after the research i have done so far and with the experience i got from Stage 1 and 2, i am certain that i would try again and that this is a career i want to get into.

By the way, i've checked with them on when can applicants re-apply again if they were not successful and they told me it is not 6 months anymore, it is now 10 months.

Well, it was great meeting everyone! We will meet again!

[dronehawk]

Hey guys.I recently submitted my application but Iam quite unsure if the interviewers will come to my geographical region.Iam from Africa and specifically KENYA.Any one out there who is from this location and had them coming for the stage one interview?

[holdmetight]

AsL402,

I'm sorry to hear the news, I hope you are coping with it well. Definitely don't give up, good things come to those who wait! To prepare and build your knowledge base, I suggest you constantly keep reading anything you can get your hands on. I personally believe the best way of accumulating knowledge is to read a little bit everyday, rather than cramming a stack of books 2 weeks before your interview. Sounds quite old school, but it has worked for me so far.

On the other hand, if you some spare time and cash, taking some flying lessons would be good as well. I have found that learning ground school theory is much easier if you can experience the practical side of aviation at the same time.

All the best, let us know how you go! :ok:

[Ispahan]

EM773 and Holdmetight,

Thank you for sharing the different links you've posted.

The pdf file giving an insight of a SO tasks and duties seems to be quite ironic...is that espacially coming with the 744 fleet and old, embittered Captains ? Are SO really considered as the bunk makers and ATIS printers only....?

Might be frustrating after a few months :bored:

[guybrush]

Hey Asl402 and dronehawk,

Asl, keep up the good spirit (I really admire that), I had a similar situation with another airline. Keep your eyes open, you never know who else will have a cadet programme before the 10 months are over.

dronehawk, if you could, try selecting a city where they have previously visited (e.g. London or Jo'berg). E-mail CX and try to find out if they are coming to any city near you or any place you are willing to fly to for the first interview.

Cheers,
Ahmed

[holdmetight]

The pdf file giving an insight of a SO tasks and duties seems to be quite ironic...is that espacially coming with the 744 fleet and old, embittered Captains ? Are SO really considered as the bunk makers and ATIS printers only....?

Might be frustrating after a few months

Yeah, I've heard similar stories about the B744 fleet and the long-sleeve brigade. I'm not convinced this is how most S/Os are treated though, I have a friend who is an S/O at the moment and he seems to be enjoying his line of work. It seems life in the Airbus and B777 fleets is much more pleasant!

[Em773ER]

AsL402: Sorry to hear the bad news. Like everyone is saying, keep the spirit and don't give up. Best of luck in the future!

Ispahan: I am also not convinced that's how S/O's are treated, but as far as duties go, i think the SO guide shows a good enough description. Something you could get asked during interviews (most often they do) about what S/O's duties are, some people just know the basic "relief pilot" description but this guide should certainly help.

dronehawk: if my memory serves me well, i think i remember reading a post by someone from kenya as well. but don't worry, i understand that they also offer interviews to places near your geographical location, likely to be jo'burg for you if not kenya. good luck with your application. :ok:

[flying_hamster]

@dronehawk:

I too am from Kenya, and attended my stage 1a and 1b in Hong Kong. I had previously applied to be assessed in Malaysia, as i was studying here then. But, decided to change my location, and got invited to HK.

Do try check for change of location, as CX does not fly into Nairobi, and doubt highly if they'll have interviews there. In Africa, I do know that they held interviews in Jo'burg, if my memory serves me correctly..

All the best! :ok:

[jsfboat]

Is Cathay calling everyone who applied for the initial screening? Is there an idea of what the average time frame is from when someone submits the app to the time a person is called?

[holdmetight]

Your wait varies depending on whether they happen to hold interviews at a location you picked. That said though, I've heard most people say they waited 6 months between applying and getting an interview.

[mighty_mouse]

ASL,

Mate sorry to hear the news.. I've actually got my stage two coming up in HK. I was wondering if you had any insight into where you feel you went wrong, or perhaps any tips from your experience?

[BigglesNBella]

The best advice I can give is to just be yourself and stay composed under pressure. I'm convinced that it all comes down to how they like you, not how much you know.

[ReverseFlight]

I assume you were referring to the CX-FTA Instructor scheme that was launched 2 years ago? I don't think CX will recruit pilots through that channel again.
Not surprised to hear that at all. I know an instructor who was hired on the back of that scheme, even after he crashed and wrote off an aircraft from his previous FTO employer (due to fuel exhaustion) shortly before he went to Parafield. :eek:

No kidding - I knew the guy personally and flew that aircraft on many a nav back in my GFPT days.

[dronehawk]

@ guybrush, Em773ER and flying hamster.

Thank you guys for the insight:)I will email them to see if Jo'berg is possible considering they don't come Nairobi.By the way, does CX communicate to successful applicants after 8 weeks.I think I read somewhere in earlier posts.

[Em773ER]

Quote: By the way, does CX communicate to successful applicants after 8 weeks.I think I read somewhere in earlier posts.

As mentioned earlier, it varies. Most seem to wait 6 months. If you are not successful they send you a rejection email if my memory serves me well.

All the best :ok:

[Em773ER]

How long has it taken people with HK as their first preference to get an invitation?, from my understanding people get invited quicker that way.

Thanks in advance

[AsL402]

Well i'm back home now. I got a few PMs asking for some pointers for Stage 2, so i'll just post it here so everyone can see.

There is really no specific thing i can tell you to study or prepare on, i really have to say just be prepared as much as you can. If you haven't done some math lately, make sure you practice that. The Group exercise and Flight Planning is very fun and simple. Just think simple and you will be fine. Make sure you have confidence in yourself. During the interview, they will ask if you are sure about your answers even if you are right. If you don't know it, just let them know. My interviewer got deeper and deeper into each topic, there will be a point where you don't know the answer. They just want to see how you respond. They will try to lead you to the right answer and see if you can figure it out.

If you are flying from somewhere else, i would recommend you to get there a few days earlier to get your jet lag settled. They will be able to rearrange your tickets for you. Stage 2 is extremely tiring, so you should go there in your tip top condition.

FYI, if you did the Aptitude test in HK for stage 1, you don't have to do it again in Stage 2. I think the Emails that some people got were generic ones so thats why it said they will have Aptitude tests again.

Hope this all helps!

[HughHefner]

Thanks AsLl, hopefully I'll get to see what stage 2 is like for myself and get to use your advice.
Good Luck to everyone else out there as well.

[AsL402]

Forgot to thank you everyone for the support in my last post.

holdmetight,

i do plan on getting some flight hours. Its actually cheaper than i thought!

Anyone know a good Flight School in the Southern California area? there are a few around.

Thanks!

[Komie77W]

ASL 402

I am really sorry to hear your news. But don't quit and hang in there! As some of us mentioned good things are there for people who don't quit.

Thanks for all the info. How many people were there for stage 2 interview? Do you know how many made it to stage 3? Are candidates came from around the world or from a specific location during stage 2? Thanks for your response.

[FL999]

Hey guys, its been 1 year now since i applied and still no response. I guess we just have to be patient and wait.

[AsL402]

Komie77W,

There were six candidates in Stage 2. I went back the next day to ask some questions and saw only 3 got to Stage 3.

Everyone was from different parts of the world. LA, Florida, Toronto, Vancouver, Malayasia...

[BigglesNBella]

I did my stage 2 the day before ASL (I think you have your dates mixed up ASL) with 5 other people. Everyone was from Canada except for one guy from Malaysia. Only one person made it through to stage 3.

[northbound207]

Hey All,

Good to see that recruitment is still continuing.
Although it does sound like only a small percentage of people get through to stage 3, they do explain just at the start of Stage 2 that there is no quota, and that they would be more than happy to accept everyone as long as we met the requirements.

Speaking with another person that made it to stage 3, he had said his group had 6 and 4 made it through. There really is no need to be discouraged.

Have confidence, and do the preparation and I'm sure we can all make it to adelaide and then hopefully back to hong kong.

Sincerely,
NB

[BerksFlyer]

I've got a place lined up at university for September but I am planning on applying to Cathay as soon as I get my A level results (August). I've had my eye on this scheme ever since I first came across it a few years back and noticed it isn't just open to nationals unlike most (Qantas, Singapore etc.). I've got 10 hours towards a PPL and know I want a flying career - university is simply a contingency and a degree a means with which to earn money in order to train - so if I were to be successful I'd have no qualms in pulling out of university.

Do you guys reckon Cathay would frown upon this? Ironically they have been present at the university I'm going to (University of Sheffield) plugging this scheme at employment fairs. Is it worthwhile applying as soon as I can or should I do the 3 years at university then apply (hoping it's still open). I'm going to be studying Physics. Of course if I were to be successful it's likely I'd recieve a reply having already started university...

[Komie77W]

ASL 402 and others

Thanks very much for all of your reply. I am planning to send my application soon. Anyone from Bayern as well?

Another question: If an applicant was not successful at for example stage 2/3. if he/she re apply again. Will the interview start at stage 2/3 or back to stage 1 once again? Thanks for the reply and cheers!

[BigglesNBella]

Komie: I believe that your interview/test results are valid for one year so if you passed stage 1 but not stage 2 and you reapplied within a year you would be eligible to jump back in at stage 2. After a year you would start back at the beginning.

[holdmetight]

Berksflyer,

Nah, they don't mind. During my first application back in 2007, I explicitly told them that I would quit university if I was accepted. They didn't seem to mind, I even made it to Stage 2 before being shown the door. Though if they do ask you if you would quit university if accepted, answer them in an eloquent way so they don't have qualms about you quitting the CPP if you get another better offer elsewhere. Capiche?

Don't be in a rush to apply, prepare yourself first. As you may have already noticed, it isn't easy.

Komie77W,

In a couple of weeks or months we will see how re-applicants are processed, since it has been almost a year since they opened the CPP to the world. The first batch of international applicants who were rejected will probably start re-applying soon. I think it is quite probable that people applying again might face a longer wait though, given the volume of fresh applicants flowing in everyday.

[Andrew_W]

I hae no idea about candidates from overseas but they did ask me to prove it during my stage 1b, stage 3 interview and before I went for flight grading.

For overseas candidate. They'll probably ask you to show them all your academic certificates, flying license, passport etc. after you're offered the cadetship instead of before flight grading.

[Bizzle284]

They requested to see everything from me during stage 1A. We had to have our passports, logbooks, medical certificates, high school and college transcripts, college diploma...

[nt.pilot]

So when you apply is there a choice of courses to apply to? ie. instructor course, ab initio course etc...?

[AsL402]

Komie77W,

Your welcome!

I went and ask them the same question and they told me it will depend on the applicant and how they performed. So they either might have to start from Stage 1 again or they will go back to the stage where they failed.

[VNA Lotus]

hey guys,

I've read before, that there is no quotat, for stage 2 ou 3, don't remember...
what about the stage 1 ? is there any quotat or not ?

Good luck!

[BigglesNBella]

There is no quota for the cadet pilot programme. If you meet their requirements they will accept you.

[CXWannabie]

Hi all, first post on here, have read through what everyone has written and it's been a great help!

I thought I'd post my experience so far for every hopeful out there.

I have no real experience with flying planes, just time spent with the RAF CCF at school and the University Air Squadron in Sheffield. I have always been interested with becoming a pilot and am aware of how few cadet pilot schemes are running however the costs linked with flying are very high, so I jumped at the opportunity. I am currently working in a area completely separate to aviation.

I submitted my application on the 13th Sept 2009 for London
Recieved an invitation on the 28th of May 2010 for an 'initial interview' on the 13th of July 2010. I was also told that "Further information required for the interview will be sent to you via e-mail during the week of 14 June 2010, as soon as the schedule is confirmed." again this is in London.

This initial interview is to include the following components:
1. Interview with both Personal and Technical Questions (45mins)
2. Technical multiple-choice Questionnaire (45mins)
3. Reasoning Test (45mins)
4. A Personality Assessment (30mins)
5. The Wombat Pilot Aptitude Test (90mins)

I have been told this selection process will take 4hrs 55mins

I have been told to bring:
Flying Licence, if applicable
Medical Certificate applicable to above-mentioned Flying Licence
All logbooks
Results of PPL/CPL/ATPL theory examinations, if applicable
Passport
Education Qualifications including public exam results, high school certificates, university transcripts and certificate
An update copy of your resume
One passport size photograph with your name and application number on the reverse

I have begun to read:
'Handling the Big Jets' due to a family friend pilot in CX suggesting it.
'Ace the Technical Pilot Interview'
and found a booklet called 'Preparing for your Cathay Pacific Interview: The Pilot's Guide'

I have also been told to read up on how a jet engine works
both twin[GE and Pratt & Whitney]and triple[Rolls Royce] spool. Know
about swept wing aircraft, flight controls, spoilers, flaps, slats.

Hope this helps round 1 applicants. If anyone else is going to London please let me know!

[RedsunsDriver]

I did my stage 2 the day before ASL (I think you have your dates mixed up ASL) with 5 other people. Everyone was from Canada except for one guy from Malaysia. Only one person made it through to stage 3.

wow, only 1 of the 6?
normally its 2 to 4 of the 6.
Looks like they were really harsh on your group or they already have a class picked out.

[THE_WING]

@CXWannabie

Thank you for your detailed post.

[StandardToaster]

Hey guys, does anyone know where you can get Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices practice in the UK? I've search all the libraries in two UK cities. I'm also having no luck on the Internet. :confused:

[StandardToaster]

SW1

Thanks :) Time to be-friend a psychologist ;)

[SW1]

No worries, if you still cant get your hands on them, the closest thing is books on diagrammatic reasoning tests, available for a lot cheaper than the Ravens APM test booklets would have costed:ok:

[THE_WING]

One can check books of GMAT as well. I got some help about progressive matrices from those books.

[Em773ER]

Pearson :: Search Results (http://www.pearsonpsychcorp.com.au/search?type=a&input=R)

this is in Australia but i'm sure that shouldn't be a problem. All you need is a doctor.

Hope it helps

[StandardToaster]

There is no way one could memorise every single question. It's impossible. If you consider that cheating, you shouldn't prepare interview questions or read the JKI booklet.

[Bizzle284]

LOL. I'm a little lost. The ravens test is a similar test, but is not the actual test used by Cathay for the cadet interview. So looking at similar questions to get yourself ready isn't cheating...its preparation. Same thing your teacher does: gives you problems in class and homework to simulate questions that will be on the real test ;)

[Andrew_W]

Every one has their own way to prepare for the interviews. I reckon the HR ladies and the pilots will notice that if the candidate is cheating. As they are all professional in selecting the best candidate. Don't be angry Roxy chick and do what you think is right. I'm sure you'll find that the result will be surprising.

[SW1]

Sorry to knock you off your moral high horse, BUT, didnt you ask a question in the wannabes forum a while back asking about the Ravens APM??

In terms of University exams, if you do all the past papers available to you, there is a very good chance of those popping up in the real thing.

Im not going to get started on the ATPL exams, question databases and the likes of Bristol allow young sky gods of today to get averages of 99% throughout.

You are up against thousands of candidates for this scheme, I think trying to get yourself prepared the best way is not morally wrong at all.

SW1

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

I am under the assumption that Ravens APM is the EXACT test used in CX recruitment.

[SW1]

I think after all this chat, it wont be any more!!! To put this little matter to bed, the Cathay test now includes 5 different items. I dont think anyone will be buying the WOMBAT test or personality tests.

Guys and Girls, just do your best in terms of prep and hopefully it should pay off in the long term.

SW1

[CX888]

Hi guys do you guys know anything about CX flexibility about rescheduling initial interiews???? I originally accepted the initial in NY for the 14th of this month but I'm no going to be able to attend.. Do you guys know if they will reschedule you for another time???

Thanks..
CX888

[BigglesNBella]

You're asking the wrong people. If you can't make it then you need to tell them either way. No one on here is going to have a definitive answer.

[Em773ER]

A common question asked in the interviews is what are the CX routes?.

A route map does the job easy, but knowing what aircraft fly which routes is much better. Does anyone know of a site, or even have the information for all the CX routes by aircraft type?. e.g. HK-ADL Airbus A330-300 etc

Here is an example of what I mean: Emirates fleet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirates_Fleet)
if you look at the "current fleet" section, it has a detailed explanation of the type of aircraft and what routes it flies.

Thanks in advance :ok:

[holdmetight]

Em773ER,

I think this is what you are looking for:

Fleet Info (CX) - FlyerGuide Wiki (http://flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Fleet_Info_(CX))

The pairing can change spontaneously, due to a variety of reasons - changes in load factors, aircraft performance, etc. This list on the website is not complete, as you may have noticed. In those cases you can always try to deduce what aircraft they use on which route.

Hope this helps.

[wwejosh]

I am currently doing year twelve, my final year of VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education). Am i eligible to apply?

[GeorgieW]

Hey all,
Does any one know of applicants who have been accepted with good industry experience but no University study?
Thanks

[nt.pilot]

I dont think university is mandatory just the right experience and attitude, also if you did well at school then university shouldn't really be a show stopper...

Does anyone know if 23 is too old? My friend wants to apply and she is married and 23, her husband can relocate to hong kong easily too. If you are married does it affect your chances?

[Em773ER]

Thanks for the link holdmetight!. I see what you mean, and to anyone else curious I also found searching for flights on travel agent sites also sometimes gives what aircraft you would fly on if you were to book a certain flight.

Cheers :ok:

[BigglesNBella]

23 is most definitely not too old.

[Swine Facipic]

35 + would be too old .... for a fact there are cadets currently training many between 26 & 33 in batches from CP32 to CP37.

[holdmetight]

If you are married does it affect your chances?

Not sure, but they are bound to shoot some marriage-related questions during the interview. They have taken married people before though, so I don't think it is a big no no.

[Cpt. Underpants]

The reason they ask about marriage is because the salary is really not that great in this expensive city and it would be tough living in HKG on a single income.

If you are married then I suggest you tell the interviewers that you girlfriend/fiancee'/spouse will be working.

caveat emptor

[atpcliff]

Hi!

Hiring FAs now, and probably to start with DEFOs soon also.

cliff
LFW

[T-Mass]

hey atp, maybe tone it down a bit with the hiring DEFO bullshiite. pprune, flightinfo... where else are you bating?

[Ryodan]

I applied a while ago and i'm still expecting a reply but i'm paranoid that CX may have called me and I may have missed the call. Does CX invite people to the first interview via email?

[BigglesNBella]

Ryodan, they sent me an e-mail which went to my junk folder, then they called me a couple days later to ask me if I had received that e-mail. Check your junk mail! Also, the e-mails and phone call came some 7 months after I applied. Be patient.

It's a damn good thing they called me, that was a close one!

[A330-343E]

I applied a while ago and i'm still expecting a reply but i'm paranoid that CX may have called me and I may have missed the call. Does CX invite people to the first interview via email?Hi Ryodan I'm in the same boat..when did you apply it? Do you have any previous flying experience? CX will send an email plus a phone call for the first interview.

[BigglesNBella]

Anyone who made it to stage 4, did they take forever to e-mail you after your phone call?

[Andrew_W]

They'll email you in one to two days. As you'll depart in a week to ADL after you've received the phone call

[cyyap3]

Hie there!!! I got a call from a lady last Thursday saying I made it to the flight grading and asked me to choose a date of departure and she said she will ask her colleague to email me. But since then, no email...nothing but I chose the July one instead of the June.

[Andrew_W]

Congrat! They may need some time to process your flight grading arrangement. Once they've got everything confirmed then they will email you the details.

Don't worry too much

Cheers

[Bizzle284]

I'm in the same boat as BigglesNBella. I got told Flight grading will be in August for me. So i'm guessing they are just waiting to email me any information. But it would be good to know the dates so I can start planning. Congrats to all who made it. How are stages 1-3 going for everyone?

[northbound207]

Hey Biggles and Bizzle,

do you guys know if your heading to flight grading for the short course or not? a week's notice is a little short, but I hope they consider the applicant's current obligations. Plus some guys with some experience have been waiting for the short course flight grading for a long time now.

[cykzstudent]

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if theres anyone currently in the same boat as me. I applied to CX a year ago, and have gotten no reply. Other friends of mine have been invited to interviews in Vancouver. I am also unable to reapply and update my info as my application is still being "processed". Anyone have suggestions?

When I applied I had a CPL and Multi-IFR, since then I have gotten an Instructor Rating and started working as well.

[antes56]

ciao

I am in the same boat too!..I applied last year,and since then,no reply...I wrote them 3 days ago and they told me that my application is under process and they will call me in the future...

keep believing and continue with your real life until that moment

[Ryodan]

A330-343E,

I applied late May, on the 2Xth and it's been about 2 weeks now so I think I should be expecting an email? I'm a local applicant btw.

I applied to Dragonair CPP and got an invitation email in 2 weeks time. I have 0 hours under my belt.

and to Biggles,

yeah I check my trash/spam folder because i found my KA CPP invitation email in there as well. I'm just paranoid about the phone call. Can someone PM me their number so I can check if they did in fact call me? I'm trying to call them back but there are a lot of missed calls lol.

[A330-343E]

Hi cykzstudent,

Have you tried to call the HR ladies?

To antes56,

Any previous flying experience for you?

Ryodan,

Keep waiting...it's just 2 weeks since you applied. Some people including myself have been waiting for 2 months or even more. I wrote them an email and asked them to follow up my application status. Hoping to get some response later this week. Otherwise will call them up and see.. :)

[BigglesNBella]

I'm glad to hear that others are waiting awhile for the e-mail. I told them July too so I guess that's the hold up.

northbound: No I'm in the long course.

cyyap: I had my third round interviews on the 1st.

[antes56]

@A330-343E

no,I don't have any flying experience yet...


I wish everyone's doing the interview good luck!:ok::ok:
it's a great opportunity!

[Bizzle284]

Yea. I'm just waiting for the short course at the moment. From what the lady told me on the phone, it looks the short course will start towards the end of november (I wish they had a date already). So the flight grading wont be until august (Again wish they had a date for that too).

Good luck to All!!!:ok:

[greentea84]

I applied for this the other day. Hoping I wont have to wait too long to hear back :)

[SFO74A]

Hi All,

Anybody going to San Francisco for the first interview in July ? I am wondering how many applicants will be there in SF.
Good luck everyone !

[Phili-T]

@Bizzle284 & BnB

I'm also waiting for the call to FG in July/August. They called me all the way back in April :ouch:. So now we wait. Has anyone recieved any info on the short course FG?

Well done to all :D

[charlotteimmigration]

is it just me or was WOMBAT stupidly hard in the second mode?
and coudl ANYONE remember those numbers?
Im sure I failed!!!
my little green bar was always at the bottom of the bloody screen.
I hope this is a TOTAL score and not just a wombat score interview. I know if i go to stage 2 in HK I can succeed.
on a positive note, the interviewers and staff were amaizing

[SW1]

Hi Charlotte,

Im sure they will take everything into account. What does the Harrrison assessment involve? What kind of questions are asked?

Thanks

[cykzstudent]

A330-343E

I have not called the HR ladies. Does anyone know how to get in contact with them? Also do they mind being called?

[HughHefner]

What up SFO? I'll see you there in San Fran. Don't know about the number of applicants though, as long as I can go I'm happy though.

[A330-343E]

Hi cykzstudent,

I have not called the HR ladies. Does anyone know how to get in contact with them? Also do they mind being called? Check your PM. Cheers.

[SFO74A]

Re HughHefner

When will be your interview ? I will be there on July 5. How did you prepare for it as well? Just want to share some thoughts before really going for it. Only 2 weeks left !

[umpPilot]

wombat was soo hard! i dont think i got through all the instructions because i didnt get a chance to practice the memory number game and i got owned

[StandardToaster]

I used to think Wombats were relatively cute. Any tips on how to practice for the wombat?

[bonbon512]

Hi SW1,

It's just a personality assessment test. Essentially, the test has 21 "questions". You'll have 30 minutes to complete it. It's a computer-based test.

In each "question", you will get a list of 8-10 phrases (I can't recall now), and you have to rank them according to which phrase most describes you as #1 and the rest in descending order. Some phrases are reused in other questions as well.

[optimus14]

For the reasoning test, you pretty much have to determine pattern sequences.

It starts out pretty easy but gets progressively more difficult. You get 5 mins to complete 12 practice questions and 40 mins to complete 36 main questions.

@bonbon

Did you just attend the NY interviews? Or anyone else here for that matter.

[BigglesNBella]

Has anyone who's going to stage 4 at the beginning of July gotten details yet?

[Sheldz]

I did the exact same thing, except I've been working as an instructor for a little bit and now have around 315 hours. Let us know if you get in later, it would be interesting to see.:ok:

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

Bonbon, please elaborate more on the "wombat" test.

[VNA Lotus]

Yes Wombat test was hard... actually the hardest test.
We can't tell more about it sorry, it is very complicated to explain by writing. You can't prepare. Just relax and enjoy. Do your best. I played video games before, a lot, it did not help me at all... so... you have the ability or not... lol
I took stage 1, 15 days ago. No reply... hope is a good sign...

[flyhiigh]

I did it 13 days ago! Also waiting and indeed, hope its a good sign :P

Wombat was quite hard, but at the same time very fun! I guess you should see it as a game and not be to stressed..

Though its hard to know how you performed, and what the "average point" is for ppl doing it.

Good luck!

[VNA Lotus]

13 days ago... ok I've jsut sent you a mp lol

I hope we will receive the response soon... it is killing me lol
many applicants had receive news already... (negative..).

[boquera]

any UK interview news?? haven't seen any for a while

[SW1]

Interviewing in London from mid july

[bonbon512]

@ Optimus: Yeah, I just did the interview in NYC

Re: Reasoning Test:
It's based on the Raven's Progressive Matrices. No real way to prepare for it. You could always just do some brain teasers or look up some tests similar to the Raven's test. I think some people have posted links on it already, but it's kind of like this: http://www.iqtest.dk/main.swf

@ Roxy re: Wombat test:
You can't really prepare for it. Just read the wombat test and what it consists of. A good 'ol google search should give you more info. Check the aero website for details and a candidate guide. WOMBAT-CS Test Scenario (Complex Systems Operator) (http://www.aero.ca/e_W_CS_Scenario.html)

[flyhiigh]

If anyone from stage 1, the 9th of june in Paris is in the thread, plz pm me:)

[optimus14]

@bonbon

I was there last week as well. How did you feel about it overall?

[VNA Lotus]

Interview in NYC ???
so, London, Paris, NY, Vancouver... well... err... quite crazy... I wonder, how many are we ??? 2000 ? more? lol!

@flyhiigh: as soon as I know I'll let you know :)

[Bizzle284]

For those of you going through Stages 1-3, or for people waiting to hear that want to study up, I spent some time taking all of the flash cards that I had made and putting them into a word document. It's got info on Cathay, tech questions asked during interviews, and info on Hong Kong.

If you'd like a copy of it, just PM your email address to me and I will send it right out. Good luck to everyone and congrats to everyone who has passed any stage.

(Please keep in mind this info was updated as of Dec 2009 and early 2010. It may need a little tweaking)

[Mike Whiskey Romeo]

Have people here actually been invited to Stage 1 in London in July?

I sent my initial application last November and haven't received an invite yet.

Regards,

Mike

[Joycekin]

has anyone here been waiting for response from CX in Hong Kong?

[optimus14]

@ Joycekin

I'm currently waiting for a reply. I can hardly keep my nerves under control right now.

I assume you are as well?

[kingofkabul]

Likewise - applied last September for London - still waiting to hear!

[holdmetight]

Joyce, I'm a local applicant and have been waiting for their response for the past 6 months. That being said though, this is my second application and they know I am in Australia until next week.

[Little Miss...]

Hi,

Does anyone know, when Australian interviews will be held?

Thanks

[Em773ER]

i also put HK as a 1st preference for stage 1. been waiting almost 4 months. how long has everyone else been waiting?, what's the deal with HK interviews?

regards

[holdmetight]

A couple of hours ago, I received an email from HR inviting me to a Stage 1 interview in HKG. They did not specify a date for the interview, which I suppose will be determined after I tell them when I will return to HKG.

I waited 6 months and 1 week for this email.

[Andrew_W]

Hi holdmetight,

What will be included in your stage 1a selection process?

Wombat test?
English Test?
Reasoning Test?
Presentation?
Anything else?

[holdmetight]

Andrew,

Not sure, the email did not say, but I will advise when advised. ;)

My latest e-mail correspondence with them has confirmed that my Stage 1 interview is to take place on 8th July from 0930-1230. Anyone else going to Cathay City on that day for the same thing?

[rico2475]

Hi guys, Im currently at Cabair College of Air training and ive nearly finished my ME CPL and soon my IR, im just wondering, is this cadet scheme from cathay pacific gurantee a job at the end of it? and if so, do you think i could just walk in with my frozen ATPL and try and get a job with them? Naive maybe i know, but i was told no question was a silly question :) any response would be appreciated :ok:

[KennethAFI]

Hi, I'm Kenneth. Have any one had any experience on 2nd round interview for cadet ship. If you do please share... Thank you.

[Andrew_W]

Hi Rico,

There is no gurantee a job even if they accept you as a cadet pilot. They may offer you a job depending on the economic environment, as well as you meeting the required standard.

Most of the cadets were offered a job as an S/O after their training and P2x rating. However, there were some cadets who failed the P2x rating and did not get a job finally.

If the economy is bad, then CX may defer your type rating training and you may need to look for a job while you are waiting for the course to start.

Also, there are numbers of cadet down in Adelaide have got frozen ATPL. You can give it a go if you're interested.

Cheers

[CharlieXray777]

Hi holdmetight,

Congratulations on your invitation you must be very happy!

Just want to ask, how long did you wait after you were told you were unsuccessful that you re-applied online?

Was this 6months plus 1 week wait in addition to the cool down time you had waited before re-application?

Also, which stage was it you got to in the 1st attempt?

You have a pretty good chance I believe because I know you have prepared a lot from your posts, so good luck!

[Smell the Coffee]

Thanks everyone for all your input - great thead.

Am I right in inferring from the above posts that there is no numerical aptitude testing in Stage 1 of the process?

rgds

[rico2475]

Thanks Andrew,

Ill have to look into it, its worth a shot these days anyway!!!!

thanks again

[michaeljpotter]

@ MWR & KOKabul

I applied september/october time. I emailed them approximately 3 weeks ago and the reply I had was the generic that they will invite for assessment when they're in the region next.
Just hold on in there, its all that can be done at the moment

[Bizzle284]

Hey Buddy. Congrats on getting called back. I'm really happy that you finally got a call. You've been working for it for a long time. I also like the fact that you never lost hope after the first attempt. Best of Luck to you! Let us all know how your doing. And congrats to everyone else who received a call.

[orangeboy]

hey holdmetight, good news! goodluck, judging by your last few posts, i think we may share the same instructor! :ok:

[holdmetight]

Andrew_W
It has been confirmed that my "Stage 1" will comprise the Job Knowledge Test and an interview of 30-45 minutes duration. No tests whatsoever, at least for now.

CharlieXray777
I submitted my second application around 1 year and 11-ish months after my initial rejection, then waited 6 months and 1 week for them to reply me, now here I am. I failed Stage 2 in my first application, which was back in late 2007.

Bizzle284
Thanks for your words of encouragement, hope all goes well with you too. :ok:

khammy87
I have noted with some friends of mine that the entire process from Stage 1A (if that applies to you) to Stage 3 takes about 2 months. Flight grading happens when they decide to send you down under. This doesn't actually answer your question but you can kind of guess the timeframes involved.

[holdmetight]

i think we may share the same instructor!

LOL I wouldn't be surprised, the world is a small place! ;)

If you don't mind, you can PM me and tell me who you are...

[Em773ER]

congratulations mate! :ok:
i am sure you will get in!
best of luck.

[timoteee]

anybody have their interview in HK on july 28th?!

[Airman1985]

My interview is on the 29th of this month in HKG except that it's for Stage 1.

[arflyingman]

Will be arriving HK on the 5th of July for the second and hopefully third stage of interview on 7th and 8th.

One question that had been bothering me is that what kind of engines that CX fleets use? Some sites indicate that the RR Trents are the ones used but just wondering if there's a site listing all the engines used by their fleet.

[Andrew804]

Hey mate,
I'm heading over for the same 2 interviews aswell. I'll see ya there.
To answer your question, I'm not sure if there is a site.
But I do know that the engines on the CX fleet are as follows:

A340-300 : CFM56
A330-300: Rolls Royce Trent 700
777-200 and 300: Rolls Royce Trent 800
777-300ER: GE90-115
747-400: Rolls Royce RB211-524
747-400(the few aquired from SIA): PW4062

Cheers,

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

If anyone has a copy of - 'Preparing for your Cathay Pacific interview' and would like to sell it, please make contact with me.

[BigglesNBella]

Will be arriving HK on the 5th of July for the second and hopefully third stage of interview on 7th and 8th.

One question that had been bothering me is that what kind of engines that CX fleets use? Some sites indicate that the RR Trents are the ones used but just wondering if there's a site listing all the engines used by their fleet.

Take a peek at the last page in the in flight magazine on your flight over. It has some nice fleet details in it. You can find engine details on the Boeing and Airbus websites. For example, the 777-300ER only uses GE90-115B engines (Boeing: Commercial Airplanes -- 777-200LR/-300ER Technical Characteristics (http://www.boeing.com/commercial/777family/pf/pf_lrproduct.html)) therefore you now know that Cathay uses those engines on it's 300ER fleet..

[piper_cherokee]

Hey!!

Guys i really need your help on this.

Does CX recruit you as a reserve pilot?

And if it does then till how much time do you work as a reserve?

And are reserves taken the way other pilots are taken.

I mean the selection process is the same?

Your help will be appreciated .:ok:

[flyhiigh]

I did my stage one 20 days ago, still not received any response. Does anyone know if the results comes from HK or the city I did the test in (Paris)?

Am I the only one waiting for a reply, or is someone on the same boat?

If not I guess I shall call them tomorrow and ask..

Thank´s!

[Assad Spaceship2]

Hi, Can you please tell me on which no. or email I might contact "them", i.e CX recruitment team please?
I currently work as a science teacher and happen to have jul-aug as 2 months of holidays hence free to call for interview should I be selected. I really would like to pass this info along, should it be of help to me.
Thanks
Assad

[samuk1000]

Does anyone have an HR contact in HK or UK/Europe to follow up app? If so, please PM me.

[oneflewnorth]

Looking for some advice guys. For my first preference of interview location I've put Australia (home), however I'm kinda stuck on the second. New Zealand would be the next closest/easiest/cheapest location however Hong Kong would probably mean a sooner/better chance at an interview...any thoughts? What would someone in my position put?

Edit: Opted for HK.

[SloppyJoe]

Seriously, this is very basic info that if you had even the slightest interest in getting a job with cx you would know as it is all explained in pretty much the first place you would look if you wanted to apply.

Yes employed as a reserve pilot as you put it.

Selection is that of a cadet, read a bit of this thread.

At the moment people have spent about 4 years as a reserve pilot before becoming a real pilot. :ugh:

[piper_cherokee]

hey thx for d answer sloppyjoe.I haven't applied for CX nor am i being recruited for it.I needed this info for a friend of mine who has been in this process for past 6 months.So far no interview or examination call has been received by him and he wanted to know if he should go forward with the CX if they recruit him.

Just anoder question how many hours do you get to fly as a reserve? Thanks a lot .

[FiiS]

Good evening (GMT +1 ;) )

Been watching this thread in the month since I applied online :ok:

Any other other chaps from the UK in waiting? I've been told by Cx that they'll recruit "in my area" when "enough candidates" are selected. So ... whenever they feel like it! It's not that encouraging reading most of you guys have been waiting some months for any news (if not a year or more!!).

I won't pack my suitcase just yet :sad:

[Octopus88]

Hey Guys,

Just a quick question..? Does anybody have any idea on which of the aircraft a second officer is used on? I've read on the website it says the 747, 777-300ER, A340-300 and 600 series, however I presume this may be outstanding seeings that the 600 series is no longer in service. Are they used on the A330, 777-300/200?

Good Luck to everybody!

[Octopus88]

Thanks for the help Cyyap3 :ok:

[Pandaman]

:ok:Cathay DO deploy S/O onto the A330 fleet,but normally to port like YPPF and YSSY which the flight time is longer than 8 hrs.

pls correct me if i am not correct on this one

[BubbaMc]

Has Cathay started giving cadets any kind of housing allowance yet?

Cheers.

[SloppyJoe]

Don't know where you are getting your info from but Airbus SO's mainly fly on the 330. To everywhere but perth and cairns in australia, bahrain, dubai, bali, saudi, karachi from bangkok, the 340 trips are only rome, moscow (soon), auckland and vancouver oh and south africa in their winter. Don't think there are many more 340 trips the SO's do. When you start as an SO on the airbus fleet you are only on the 340 but after about a year you get to fly the 330 also and then most of your trips are 330. Not every flight that has three or four cockpit crew has an SO on it.

Cathay do not fly to YPPF unless you count the cadets still training as cathay flying there. We fly to YPAD.

[StandardToaster]

:confused:

I was just reading the Wombat Candidate's Manual and on page 20 it tries to explain the Quadrant-Location Task. Does anybody know how this bonus task works? So far, my understanding of it is to press the four keys in the order where the numbers 1 to 32 lie in ascending order. My question is, how do we know which 8 digits lie in which quadrant? Or is it just guess work?

Thanks in advance.

[bonbon512]

@standardtoaster

It's not guess work. The 32 numbers are randomly placed into each of the 4 quadrants. Then you look for the numbers in the quadrants, before selecting the one of the 4 keys to cancel them. You get to see the numbers, it's not hidden or anything like that ...

[StandardToaster]

@bonbon512

Thank you for explaining. How do you look for them?

[Ispahan]

You can't really get prepared for Wombat...This seems really hard and you'll have the feeling of having completely failed (perhaps)...Anyway Cathay does look to the whole Stage 1 tests.

Just try to be very concentrated on the tracking (main task) and the best preparation is probably having some long rest nights the week before the itw!

Good luck

[dronehawk]

Would you please give me some more links of aptitude tests,psychometric and psychomotor tests.I will highly appreciate your help

[Bizzle284]

@umpPilot
The flight planning is very basic. No instruments or nav-aids needed. They just give you a map with some cities and tell you they want to go from one to the other. The document you get has the runway lengths, hours of operation, etc...its really basic.

I sent out an email (not sure if I sent one to you or not), but it has info on Cathay and some of the tech questions I or others were asked. If you want just PM me your email address.

@dronehawk
I just found the QANTAS practice reasoning and aptitude tests. I had them on my computer and forgot about it. PM your email address and I can send it.

This goes for everyone else too.

-Cheers:ok:

[Ispahan]

@dronehawk

Check this one, I think it helps...

How to Pass Professional Level ... - Google Books (http://books.google.com/books?id=M1vd-a8vwGAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=how+to+pass+psychometric+tests&hl=en&ei=dsEtTPKwCcbdsgb2h-22Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false)

[eleong]

I checked the Cathey official website as well as other available website to seek for information about the fleet Catheay is operating now. I found the numbers are now consistent among different website. Who would know the exact (at least closed to correct) answers? Thanks.

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

Yes, I have noticed the same thing, the fleet numbers do appear different between the CX website, and the airfleets site.

[holdmetight]

I think your best bet would be the 2009 Annual Report, unless you know someone in the company who can give you some very updated figures. Otherwise the 2009 AR shouldn't be too wide of the mark, given it was released not too long ago, so the figures should still be quite accurate.

[eleong]

Then where did you find the 2009 report? Would you mind to share? Thanks.

[eleong]

For those who had completed the WOMBAT test, I have few questions after reading the manual:

1. Are there two "tracking worth-performance indicator" (p-v square) being shown on the screen throughout the test? One shows the tracking performance and the other shows the bonus performance?

2. If only one indicator is being displayed for your performance, how do you know that the decrease of performance is due to the autotrack mode failure or the incorrect answer on bonus questions?

3. If I understand the mnual correctly, while doing bonus questions, if one see the performance indicator decrease, it indicates a failure on autotrack mode, and one must switch back to the tracking mode immediately by pushing the "Bonus" button to correct the tracking actions. Am I right?

4. If statement 3. is correct, what happens to the bonus question when you terminate it? When you again finish auto tracking and switch back to bonus question, will you be resumed to the previous bonus question automatically, or you will start with a new one?

5. The interview itinerary shows there will be 90 minuets for WOMBAT test. Does the time start to count when instructions section starts, or it is the length of the actual test time once the test starts (after the instruction)?

6. 90 minutes seems quite long for this test! Is there a limited numbers of bonus games you could play such that if you do fast enough to finish all available bonus games, you can finish the test early. Or you will have to complete the entire 90 minutes test regardless how fast you perform?

7. Will the final score be shown on the display after you complete the test?


Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for you valuable inputs.

[bonbon512]

Annual Report 2009: Cathay Pacific - About Us : Investor Relations (http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_CA/aboutus/investor/annualreports)

[BigglesNBella]

Remember, they're taking deliveries of the 300ER so their numbers continue to grow.

[barney31]

Dear all,

Like many I monitor this thread very closely, but as the speculations about the fleet of Cathay arise, I figured that I would like to step in here. Behold, below the exact specifications of the Cathay Fleet to whom it may concernl:

As of July 2010, the CX Fleet consists of the following acft types
Freighter Fleet
6 X 74Y FRTR
6 X 7RF FRTR
12 X 7CF –FRTR 1 X 7LD FRTR
Powered by either 4 X PW 4056 or 4 X RB211 -524H/T

Passenger Fleet
Boeing
22 X 747-400
config: 9/45/324 (328) for “Long Haul” or 9/46/324 (379) for “Short Haul”
Powered by either 4 X PW 4052 or 4 X RB211 -524H/T

5 X B777-200
config: 45/291 (336)
Powererd by 2 XTrent 877

12 X B777-300
config: 45/353(398)
Powered by 2 X Trent 884B

18 X 777-300ER
config 6/57/238(301)
Powered by 2 XGE90 -115B

Airbus
11 X A340-300
config: 26/257 (283)
Powered by 4 XCFM 56-5C4

4 X A340-300
config: 8/30/205 (243)
Powered by 4 XCFM 56-5C4

19 X A330-300
config: 44/267 (311)
Powered by 2 X RR Trent 772
12 X A330-300
config: 41/223(264)
Powered by 2 X RR Trent 772

A Total of 128 Airplanes and growing. As mentioned by BigglesNBella, the 777-300ER fleet is growing as there are 10 firm order to be delivered.
Note; On the 747 Fleet there are a total of 18 acft powerd by RB211 and the remaining 6 are powered by the PW4056.
Also note the 7LD (B-KAE) is a Dragonair converted freighter with the livery of Cathay. I am not sure what engines are mounted on this acft, so if so one knows….:)

Hope this helps you all out!
Good luck!

[holdmetight]

The A343 and A333 have the same length (63.60m) and with (5.28m)... why does the '330 carry more pax?

A very simplistic view: the A340 was designed for longer routes, hence more of its payload is dedicated to carrying fuel. This is opposed to the A330 that is meant for shorter routes, so the A330 has the capacity for more passengers or freight.

Barney31, you're a life-saver. Thank you for your information :ok:

[barney31]

Roxy_Chick, the source of all the tech stuff is... myself:). I am currently employed by CX already and let's just say I am close to the fire. Therefore, all acft related issues are "easy" to answer. If you have any more tech related questions, you can always pm me.:ok:.

HoldmeTight, no problem, mate! I am just returning the favor as I have followed your posts and you are truly an inspiration to me(and many others I presume).It sounds corny and cliche, but I guess I do not give a flying f**k about that:ok: Keep going.

[StandardToaster]

@Barney

Those figures include the a/c in Victorville right?

[barney31]

@Standard Toaster

Indeed, the figures included the 2 x 747s and the 4 x A340s that are parked in VCV. All are pax acft. I included them in the fleet specs as CX still officially owns the aircraft, hence the amount of 128. However, if you look at the actually number of flying acfts in the network, the number at this particular moment is 121. The B-HUS(which was the last of the parked freighters) will roll out the hangar from TAECO in Xiamen back into service.

Note: I also included the B-KPR which is the 18th 777-300ER that joins the fleet. It arrived last sunday from Seattle and goes straight into service.

Hope this helps you out. Any questions or remarks, pls let me know.

[StandardToaster]

Thanks very much Barney. I love you. You love me. :ok:

[holdmetight]

I was looking through the fleet specs that you provided, and I'd just like to make sure of something. At the bottom of your list, you mentioned that there are 18 747s with RR engines, and 6 with PW engines. It looks as if you are exclusively referring to the 747 Freighter fleet? Can you confirm this? Thank you in advance :ok:

B-KAE is an ex-SQ pax aircraft, converted to a BCF and sold to Dragonair in late 2006. As a result it should still be using PW4056 engines, barring any major changes.

[Maiev]

Wow amazing facts :P I've been following this thread for ages. I applied haven't heard back but keeping myself educated about their information!

Keep em coming guys! I love you guys <3

[SloppyJoe]

Barney.

Are you sure CX owned B-HXM, B-HXN and B-HXO. I thought they were leased and have left cathay?

[barney31]

Sorry, I was a little to quick on the draw. Yes, you are right, the figures where concerned for the freighter fleet in Apr 2009. However, I have checked it again and found some up to date figures and another interesting detail. The total amount of 747s owned is 47 as can be derived from my previous post. 22 are pax and 27 aircraft are freighters.

From the 22 Pax; 5 acft are flying with PW-4056, and thus 17 acft are flying the RB211.
From the 27 Frt: 6 acft are flying with PW-4062, 9 acft are flying with PW-4056, and thus 13 acft are flying with RB211 mounted. In my previous post I forgot to update the engines for the freighter and pax in regards with the Pratt & Whitney serials. Sorry for the mistake. The B-LIA, LIB, LIC, LID, LIE, LIF all are mounted with PW-4062 not 4056s.

Indeed, the KAE has PW4056 Engines mounted. Good call.

[barney31]

No, we "officially" still lease these aircraft en therefore "own" the aircraft. This includes the B-HXL as well. Indeed we leased these aircraft, we are waiting on to return these. However, as we parked them before the lease period expired we still are liable to"pay" for the acft. Now this is a true money drain...:E

Whatever happend to your other comment? I was just about to answer it...

[holdmetight]

I'm still a little confused with the freighter fleet specs. I have done a little research myself and the numbers are not adding up. If you don't mind, can you confirm or correct my findings below? Thanks!

From the 27 Frt: 6 acft are flying with PW-4062, 9 acft are flying with PW-4056, and thus 13 acft are flying with RB211 mounted

6 aircraft flying with PW4062 = B747-400ERF (B-LIA to B-LIF)

9 aircraft flying with PW4056 = B747-400BCF? I am confused because aircraft with PW4056 should be ex-SQ B744, but as far as I know there should only be 3 of such aircraft in the CX cargo fleet (B-HKH, B-HKJ, B-HKS). Am I missing something?

13 aircraft flying with RB211 = B747-400F. Your first post, though, said there are only 6 of these aircraft. Again, am I missing something?

Finally, 6+9+13 don't add up to 27, so where has it gone wrong?

From the 22 Pax; 5 acft are flying with PW-4056, and thus 17 acft are flying the RB211.

For pax fleet B744, there are 22 aircraft, but there should be 6 that were purchased from SIA - B-HKD, B-HKE, B-HKF, B-HKT, B-HKU, B-HKV. Why has it now become 5, where did the extra one go?

I do apologize for being a pain in the backside:ugh:, though I do appreciate your help :D

[SloppyJoe]

reread what you wrote and you never said they were flying which is what I first assumed and know that there are not any with first still flying but was not sure what had happened to them so changed the question. :O

[barney31]

You are a sharp cookie aren’t you!;-) But you are correct again. I made another overlook.

9 aircraft flying with PW4056 = B747-400BCF? I am confused because aircraft with PW4056 should be ex-SQ B744, but as far as I know there should only be 3 of such aircraft in the CX cargo fleet (B-HKH, B-HKJ, B-HKS). Am I missing something? Yes, you are missing something. According to the operators certificates the following registrations have PW4056 beside the above: B-HKX, KAF, KAG, KAH, KAI, and KAE. Making it a total of 9 Acft. Howver, the KAE is not an Converted Freighter(as you have posted).

13 aircraft flying with RB211 = B747-400F. Your first post, though, said there are only 6 of these aircraft. Again, am I missing something?No, in this is my mistake. I got confused in my own puddle. Sorry.:rolleyes:

There are 10 Acft flying with RB211s in stead of 13 as a mentioned. I miss counted. Sorry for the mistake again… Registations are of these 10 are: B-HUU, HUK, HUL, HUO, HUP, HUQ, HUR, HUS, HOU, HOZ

So to conclude for the 747 freighter fleet:
6 X 747-ERF with 4 x PW 4062
reg:B-LIA/LIB/LIC/LID/LIE/LIF
4 X 747-BCF with 4 x RB211-524H/T
reg: B-HUR/HUS/HOU/HOZ
6 X 747-400F with 4 x RB211-524H/T
reg: B-HUH/HUK/HUL/HUO/HUP/HUQ
8 x 747-BCF with 4 x PW4056
reg: B-HKH/HKJ/HKS/HKX/KAF/KAG/KAH/KAI
1 x 747-LD with 4 x PW4056 reg: B-KAE

Bringing it to a total of 25 acft. I got confused with some old numbers I retrieved. My sincere apologies for the confusions and mistakes. I guess am only human:O

For pax fleet B744, there are 22 aircraft, but there should be 6 that were purchased from SIA - B-HKD, B-HKE, B-HKF, B-HKT, B-HKU, B-HKV. Why has it now become 5, where did the extra one go?
The B-HKD is off the grid and there is no activity for this acft for quite some time. I have no clue why it is not mentioned in the database, but I am pretty sure it has a good reason. I will see what I can digg up… to be continued.:}


Nevertheless, thanks for the eagle eye!.. again!!:ok:

[holdmetight]

The numbers are now making sense, thanks for clarifying everything! :)

I'm still wondering, though, what B-KAE is. You mentioned that it is not a BCF and the information you gave has named it as a 747-LD. So what exactly is the difference between a BCF and a -LD?

[barney31]

So what exactly is the difference between a BCF and a -LD?

I have not figured this one out yet. Although the KAE has the same operating certificate as an BCF, it seems there is an administrative difference throughout CX between the BCFs and the B-KAE. I reckon you will do fine with calling it an BCF. It might have to do with the manual cargo loading system on the B-KAE as opposed to the auto-system of the other BCFs.

Anyhow, it does not actually matter I guess, because these things are not expected to be known in any interview stage. It contains too much details. Unless, you are boasting about it, these matters will shoot you in the foot. You see how many mistakes I have made already and needed to be corrected, so imagine bringing this discussion up in an interview and getting it wrong.:sad:

I merely wanted to give a general factsheet about the fleet. I agree, I should have put more attention in it, in order not to create such detailed postings and hit the "correct-button" in the first place.So that is my lesson for today. ;)

Truly thanks for your sharp comments, Holdmetight.
Peace:ok:

[snowleopard]

Hi,

I am currently doing ma final year Engg. in India. I will be completing my course sometime in April/May 2011. So what would be the best time to apply ?
And I was also wondering as to what I should give as my preferred interview location. Should I say India or should I give it as Hong Kong, for the advantage that places with fewer applications might be delayed for a longer time whereas if I say Hong Kong, the reply from CX would be quicker ?

[Mike_Kilo_Sierra]

I think giving HK as your first location might help. I've given India and I applied in September '09. The application still shows up as 'in process'.

MKS

[holdmetight]

Thanks once again for providing us with such insight. As per the reasons you have mentioned, I don't think I will be going into much detail with regards to the Cathay fleet size. But nonetheless such information is good to have and as such I have it all written down for my future reference. All the best to you and hopefully I will get to meet you in person sometime in the future. :D

[snowleopard]

Hey, thanks for that. ;-) Also what would be the approximate time taken by them to reply, so that I would know when to send my application...???

[r_cy_mak]

Hello everyone,

I posted a question regarding when is Vancouver interview earlier.

My situation was this: I chose Vancouver as the primary location for interview, but I was going to move back to Hong Kong after June 28th. I informed Cathay about my situation and they said they will update my status accordingly.

After the 28th, I have contacted Cathay and confirmed my status in Hong Kong, and they just sent me an invitation to attend an interview in Hong Kong on Augest 10th for stage 1 testing.

I just wanted to share my experience on this post so that if anyone in the same situation I am in would be able to find some help reading this.

[yiga194]

I applied in November 2009 but still have no reply..fingers crossed and waiting patiently..any international applicants' testimonies?

[jetset]

Hi guys

LD is just a BCF on wet lease to AHK.
:ok:

[barney31]

Superthanks for the info, jetset:)
cheers

[Pandaman]

Hi mate,how's today interview?everything's fine?best of luck with your application...Finger X

Pandaman

[holdmetight]

I didn't perform like I thought I would.:ugh: Hopefully they won't judge me based on the one or two things that I didn't do so well, though it is a disappointment because I went there thinking I was ready for anything they would throw at me. Apparently that was not the case. We shall see what becomes of this, the recruitment people have said they will get back to me within the coming 2 weeks. Either way today's experience was good - you are never quite as good as you think you are, so it always counts to prepare as much as you possibly can.

Were you at 6/F of the FTC at 0930 this morning?

[holdmetight]

I did my Stage 1 interview at Cathay City today. Here are the questions I was asked (or at least the ones I remember). I was interviewed by a B777 training captain and a lady from HR. They were both very nice and the atmosphere was quite casual. When I made mistakes with my answers or was unsure about something, they would lead me towards the right answer. Good luck to the two other people I met there, as well as to everyone who did Stage 2 and 3 yesterday and today. Well done! :ok:

Personal Questions
1. Why did you choose your degree?
2. Which part of your degree did you enjoy the most?
3. Which part of your degree did you enjoy the least or struggle with the most?
4. Have you applied for the Dragonair cadet program?
5. What would you do if Cathay never accepts you?
6. How did you fund your PPL training?
7. What do you do outside your student/flying life?
8. Why should we hire you?
9. What would your close friends say about you?
10. What role do you usually play when it comes to teamwork?
11. Do you find it easier to be a leader or follower?
12. What licenses do you end up with when you graduate from cadet training?
13. What position in the airline will you be offered when you graduate?
14. What does a Second Officer do?
15. What aircraft do Cathay operate?
16. What are the destinations in Europe that Cathay operates to?
17. What is the new destination to be opened in July?
18. What aircraft are on order?
19. Have you set a time limit for yourself by which you must become a professional pilot?
20. What got you interested in aviation/becoming a pilot?
21. Where did you spend the majority of your life?

Technical Questions
1. Identify the aircraft on the tarmac. How did you come to your answer?
2. Identify the aircraft models on the table. How did you come to your answer?
3. What is the cross-wind limit for your aircraft? What does this mean?
4. If the runway heading is 035, what is the reciprocal heading?
5. If the runway heading is 040 and you have a crosswind of 100/20, what is your crosswind component?
6. What is the typical cruising level of a B777?
7. Assume we are cruising at FL380 and we wish to descend to Kunming (elevation 5000'). The aircraft travels 3nm for every 1000ft of descent, and we wish to leave 15nm before arriving at Kunming for the aircraft to slow down. How far before Kunming is the TOD?
8. Draw a jet engine on the whiteboard and explain how it works.
9. Describe how a B777 slows down after it lands.
10. Coming back to the previous question about descending into Kunming. If we use spoilers and it gives us a 50% decrease on the distance the aircraft travels per 1000ft descent, and it improves aircraft deceleration by 50%. What is the new TOD?
11. What is the first aircraft you will fly if you start cadet training in Adelaide?
12. What does the 115 in the name Grob115 mean?
13. What engine does the B777-300 use? The B777-300ER?
14. Why does an airliner fly at high altitudes?

These are all that I can remember. If I recall anymore I will update this post. Hope these are helpful to those preparing for any upcoming interview!

[Pandaman]

:=negative..i wasn't there this morning....but i have been followed this thread for quite a while....i am impressed by your effort...wish you earn your ticket to the adelaide this year!!!Finger X..:ok:

pandaman

[Andrew_W]

Don't worry mate. I did answer some questions wrong in my interviews. As long as you corrected it, that wouldn't cause any problem. I've just gone through the questions and I got most of them during my 3 interviews. Hope to see more Hong Kong guys down in Adelaide.

Good Luck!:ok:

[holdmetight]

Thanks guys, will keep everyone updated!:)

[Octopus88]

Hi All,

I'm selling the Advanced Progressive Matrices and 'Preparing for your Cathay Interview' by Captains X,Y, Z. The questions are identical to what features in the CX reasoning test. PM me if you are interested.:ok:

Price will include postage.

[Octopus88]

SierraIndia,

Your PM box is full. It's not accepting any messages.

[VNA Lotus]

@ Holdmetight
What is your experience ? (PPL, CPL, 500 hours .. etc )
Thanks :)

Guys if you write about a feedback, could you please tell us your experience in the same time ?
If I ask it is just because, technical questions are quite based on it.... so it could give us a reference as well.
Many thanks.

Good luck to all of you