Cathay Pacific Cadet Pilot Programme

[OZvandriver]

Dan Buster: You seem delightful. Whats make you think anyone would come to you with their problems anyway?

[ap_797]

Hi guys,
so another question about stage 2/3 if i may....

I posted this a while back having read it as an interview question but was wondering whether if given such a question by the interviewer would you be expected to calculate this without the aid of a pen and paper or is this available for use if need be?

Question: If you were flying at 480kts, how long does it take to travel 18 NM? (Answer is 2.25mins)


Thanks!

[steeluk]

ap_797,

I have not done stage 2/3 but I would not be surprised to be asked a mathematical question like this and to be expected to answer without the use of pen and paper...

The reason being is because with a little thought, the answer is actually quite simple...

480 kts = 480 NM/hour, divide by 60 to get NM/minute
therefore, 480/60 or 48/6 (quite a simple sum) = 8 NM/min
From there it is quite easy to see that after 2.25 minutes you will have traveled 18NM.

If they do ask you a question like this, it is likely that there will always be an easy way to answer it... Try to spot it, if your doing complicated divisions, you are probably doing it the hard way!

[Smell the Coffee]

steeluk is correct ... in my experience though, they'll usually add in some extra variables otherwise it's a bit too easy ....

[ap_797]

thanks for the feedback guys!

[herrtob]

Dear PrestonPilot,

you of course have the right to think and expect what you expect here, help and being helped, but Dan obviously think the opposite. It doesn't matter though, you meet different ppl in life, everywhere, including your future cockpit, no point and no use complaining. what you can and should do :p is do well and get in there, then do what they hate most, whine to them in the cockpit and make them explode:ugh:. meanwhile there are still people who are helpful, and actually, Dan's post is also helpful, ppl should really think hard what the financial future is with this job.

but that's not the point, the point i want to make is, 5 days left until KA closes the application system, last chance to apply otherwise it'd be another long wait.

[jdurbridge]

Hi guys, just been reading through all the threads whilst ive been going through the process myself!

Did the IT a while a go and it seemed pretty straight forward, if you are decent in english and math it should be pretty simple for you.

The AT also seemed pretty straight forward, there isnt really much you can do to help make your scores better in this i dont think, i guess your either good at it or not but it doesnt seem to have changed to the posts in this thread and i did the same sort of things.

I have my first interview in a weeks time (just got the call today after doing my AT two days ago) and was wondering if anyone else is doing the interview on the same day? Or if anyone could share some info on past experiences?

In regards to some other posts from various people about living costs etc .. although it may not help much with people trying to apply for this, it does pose the question of how much are they actually paying you per month (i have a rough guess of 30k/month?) and is KA paying the same as CX? Ive been trying to find info on this as im applying to both and always figured that one of the questions asked may be "have you applied to CX, if so which would you pick if you got through in both sections?" As my passion is to fly ive applied to both thinking about taking my first offer but im just trying to weigh in the pro's and con's for each i guess. Anyone have any in-depth info on this aspect?

[ap_797]

Hi all,
for the math test at stage 2 are the questions all aviation based, ie. fuel flow etc? or are they your standard type of math questions that are used when applying for graduate jobs, i.e look at a graph and extract data about a company, work out percentages etc?

I know people have said in past posts it involves just addition, subtraction, multiplication and division but surely that would make the test too easy? I'm guessing the questions asked therefore involve such calculations but are perhaps presented in a somewhat abstract way?

Finally, is there a need to know physics formula's from gcse and a-level or is it just basic math that is required?

thanks!

[SW1]

Anyone looing to buy the Ravens Advanced progressive matrices, both sets with answers! Contact me:ok:

[Smell the Coffee]

SW1 - is that really wise? Does it really help a potential candidate out in the long run?

You could give a candidate all the answers to the various tests conducted, and they may pass - only to fail miserably during flight training ....

For what it's worth, I didn't prepare for the pattern recognition tests - on the day, some of the first few pages made sense - the rest was unintelligble goobledegook which meant nothing to me - and I still passed ...

[DDobinpilot]

Yes I think it is very wise, whether a candidate can guess the next shape in the sequence has no relavence to whether they can fly an aircraft, also could mean the difference from a free trip to HK or not. If nothing else this whole process is extremely good interview experience.

Also this : YouTube - Cadet Pilot Interview Rebuttal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGkrLxTpIbY&feature=player_embedded)#!

[herrtob]

the video is pure gold, DDobinpilot

just my very humble opinion..... raven has nothing to do with flying, but then it's very easy, don't think it's the bit that's stopping anyone anyway

that said, there's no harm knowing about the test knowing what to expect, and relieve yourself of some worrying as there's much to do on the day. (not going to comment on the free trip to hk as i don't get that :{ )

for anyone who has yet to take the raven, don't worry about it, they don't need you to be 100% correct on it anyway. it's good help with some exercise but you'll survive without, and....

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE (don't forget KA closes application end of nov)

[SW1]

Herrtob, if youre applying for DragonAir, I presume you have a HKID?

[herrtob]

yes i do, don't i need that for CX too?

[SW1]

Where have you been mate?? The Cathay scheme went international last year

[SloppyJoe]

Guess you have not been keeping up to date either.

You will see a change in hiring practices for next year. Apparently HK immigration approved work visas for the latest grad expat cadets, however indicated that there will be no future work visas for icadets as there were several formal complaints from HK locals filed lobbying that the cadet program was designed for locals to promote aviation careers for locals.

Taken from another thread. May be true may not, CX can probably buy their way out of it somehow though. Lets see if any more cadet courses with expats start in the near future for an indication of how seriously the company are taking it.

[Stallone]

well, there are still alot iCadets in the training pipeline

then what? CX gonna expel them from Adelaide NOW??

[SloppyJoe]

If they can find no way around it YES as it is a waste of money for them unless they have signed something with the training provider as it would stand up in AUS unlike HKG. This is a company that goes to amazing lengths to save a few bucks so 100% if they can't find a way around it and they have no legal obligation to finish the training they will stop training the cadets. I expect they may wait to see what they can do with the next group that graduate before doing anything though.

[herrtob]

SW1 i'm in the cx candidate pool , just being hindered by some stuff and file put on pending

[Smell the Coffee]

Sloppy Joe - what was the reason for opening up the scheme to expats in the first place?

It's a genuine question - is there really a lack of suitable HK candidates?

I may be barking up the wrong tree, but I suspect it's why the likes of Etihad and Qatar have started looking outside their back yard for cadet pilots (both had a policy of only sourcing nationals for their cadet programmes).

[herrtob]

lack of suitable hk candidates is one

but cost saving is really the biggie

[BusyB]

The only reason they don't get enough HK candidates is that the pay and conditions are so poor as a career they would rather go into business.:suspect:

[futureTP]

Ddobin... haha thats soo funny love it! have you heard anything for stage 2? when will they post tickets and stuff...

Guys I have been reading the recent negative posts on here and I think people are wasting their time posting them.

I can only speak for myself but I think people are wise enough to make their own decisions doesn't matter if you think its right or wrong people will always want to find out for themselves... as they say the grass is always greener on the other side!

If you think that the living and working conditions at CX are as bad as some of the posts are making it out to be why don't you politely move on to other carriers (if your at CX) and make space for people like me:p that are genuinely interested in working for CX.

I believe CX is one of the world's best airlines with its safety record and they provide excellent training. You don't get to that position by treating your staff badly and reporting a record profit... so they must be doing something right!

There are far more worst airlines I can think of that expect you to pay for all your training including type rating and some are even charging for line training these days so the CX deal with no housing is not all that bad...

Living in HK is expensive but you can rent places for around £1000/m and you don't need to live in a mansion just because you're a pilot.

Now lets try and keep things positive on this thread and share the info for the selection which is the purpose of this thread!!!!

Here's a few links of the guys/girls that have gone through the selection and training and are now working as SO's on 747/A340 :ok:

YouTube - Flight Grading CP27 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQV4te7KbU0&playnext=1&list=PL0D88D97ADCDD0843&index=6)

YouTube - CP31 Batch 2 Flight Grading (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t9Ppehk6Oo&feature=related)

Its not all that bad and there is light at the end of the tunnel you just have to get there!!!!

Happy landings...

FTP

[SloppyJoe]

I believe CX is one of the world's best airlines with its safety record and they provide excellent training. You don't get to that position by treating your staff badly and reporting a record profit

Your joking right?? You know absolutely nothing about working here if not.

If you think that the living and working conditions at CX are as bad as some of the posts are making it out to be why don't you politely move on to other carriers (if your at CX) and make space for people like mehttp://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/tongue.gif that are genuinely interested in working for CX.

WITH housing allowance it makes it worthwhile but think about this. Why are the majority of CX pilots based, they gave up housing allowance to go back home and pay 30-40% tax rather than 15% here. That is well over a 50% paycut. Think about that for a minute and you may start to understand that people saying there are better places than HKG and CX are actually telling the truth.

Living in HK is expensive but you can rent places for around £1000/m and you don't need to live in a mansion just because you're a pilot

I dislike you because of this comment. I and all of the guys I work with worked hard to get where we are and I expect to be paid well for the job I do. Its people like you with your, OMG I am gonna fly a big airliner and will do anything you want if you give me that chance, attitude that will lower conditions for everyone, move over so I can do it for less, as you stated earlier :yuk:

[flyingpatrol]

The fact is, every air carrier in the world today is finding ways to save every dollar, not only CX. I am not disagreeing with anyone here, I'm on your side also, but it makes total sense for any business to make things work to their advantage. This issue applies to all the job positions in the company. The management in every company is there to just look at numbers, and figure out ways to make the numbers bigger, I don't blame them, because companies need to survive, so does our career. Airlines do compete with each other, so they do similar actions on their employees to save money. However, I know it just sucks to be the pilots because we spent more time, effort, and money than the other positions on obtaining our qualifications. Today is different from before, pretty much everybody has access to flight training, in other words, anyone can become a pilot as long as the money and time is there. In the States, there are several carriers where the pilots pay the company for an FO position, and there are still pilots who are willing to do it. No interview involved, just a payment, and a training, then you're on the right seat. Rich parents are willing pay for their kids to play airline pilot. Imagine the amount of money they're saving on the pilots, OH, I meant, the amount they're "making from" the pilots. The aviation industry is shifting to a different direction, unlike in the past, when being a pilot was more like being a doctor. In the States, a regional airline pilot has a salary lower than any job you can imagine, but people are still fighting for this job of their dream. Therefore, there is absolutely no problem for any airline to recruit pilots, why should they worry if kids are willing to pay to work as a pilot?

Unless there are new regulations being written up to regulate how companies pay their pilots. We can't really do much as pilots, but to find an airline that's more suitable for our needs.

[ap_797]

hey guys,
bit of a random question but when you do the aptitude tests can you use the same hand on the joystick each time or do they test control with both left and right?
thanks!

[dagger19]

holdmetight:
so how is your selection process so far?

[Stallone]

yeah, he's been quiet ever since he went flight grading on 14th Nov..

[flynhigh]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Qantas....html?x=0&.v=4

Nothing beats a qualified, experienced pilot. Pay attention management.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Pilots of a crippled Qantas Airbus A380 superjumbo struggled with more than a dozen system errors after an engine blew apart on Nov 4 and landed the plane in Singapore with barely any runway to spare, an Australian investigation showed.
In fact, the plane may have been so badly damaged that the five pilots, with a combined 72,000 hours of flying experience, may have saved the day.
"The aircraft would not have arrived safely in Singapore without the focused and effective action of the flight crew," Martin Dolan, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's Chief Commissioner, said on Friday.
As the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine blew apart over Batam Island, Indonesia, minutes after take-off, fragments ripped though parts of the wing, puncturing fuel, hydraulic and electronic systems and leaving the plane with limited flight controls, the ATSB said in a report.
But the magnitude of the damage became clear only when the co-pilot walked through the cabin and a passenger, another pilot, showed him a picture from a camera mounted on the plane's tail and fed into the onboard entertainment system.
The picture showed the Airbus was leaving a trail of fluid behind -- most likely fuel and perhaps hydraulic fluid -- from a puncture through the wing.
As the plane lost fuel quickly, its center of gravity also started to shift, presenting another problem. But the crew could not shift fuel as required as it was not clear how badly the fuel system was damaged, the report said.
There were so many warnings, it took pilots 50 minutes just to complete the required responses before they could prepare the plane for landing.
The number of errors was such that computers calculating landing data could not handle them all. Pilots removed some options, hoping that would still be enough to make an accurate call.
With the plane coming in at 440 tons, about 50 tons heavier than its maximum landing weight, the computer eventually concluded it would stop with just 100 meters of runway to spare at Singapore's Changi Airport, the report said.
But 100 meters was enough for the crew and they opted to land instead of dumping fuel, which would further upset the plane's balance.
The A380 "remained controllable" as its prepared to land, but it lost many of its systems which controlled pitch, speed and braking, so pilots asked the cabin crew to prepare for an emergency evacuation as they risked a runway overrun, it said.
The Airbus stopped with just 150 meters of concrete left, brakes heated to 900 degrees Celsius and four blown tires.
In addition, it was gushing fuel and one of its engines refused to shut down for over two hours, until fire crews drowned it with foam.
Pilots eventually decided against evacuation and kept passengers on the plane for another hour as fire crews secured the A380.

[holdmetight]

I came back from flight grading nearly two weeks ago, got called and given the nod a few days back.

[Stallone]

I came back from flight grading nearly two weeks ago, got called and given the nod a few days back.

congrats dude, when will training commence?

and can you reveal what did you exactly do during flight grading??

so far haven't heard much about what goes on during this final stage, other than the medical

[Pandaman]

Congratz HMT!and best of luck with your training in ADL!

Pandaman!:D

[holdmetight]

I think I wrote about this quite a while back, with my post based on the research I had done. This time I am writing as someone who has actually been there and done that. Hope this helps people get a good picture on what to expect on arrival into Adelaide for advanced flight grading (people with 30-220 hours).

Upon arrival, you will be received by FTA staff and taken to the college. You are usually given 1-2 days' free time from the day you arrive to your first flight, but don't take my word for it, it is probably different for everyone depending on when you arrive and whether your instructor is immediately free to fly with you or not. During those 1-2 days you are given your uniform, grader ID tag, grading study materials, some introduction documents to FTA, a mass briefing and a tour around the college. You are also obviously given your rooms to stay in. Spend some time speaking to the cadets, as they are very friendly and will give you advice on how to tackle flight grading. Also read the study materials thoroughly, in particular the checklists. Individual instructors may or may not need you to be familiar with the checklist, but by knowing them it will show good preparation.

You will do 3 flights in the Grob115, spanning over 3 consecutive days (weather permitting). Each flight takes around 1.2-1.6 hours. You basically need to complete the following exercises:

Straight and Level
Applied Straight and Level
Climbing and Descending
Steep Turns
Incipient Stalls
Full Stalls
Wing-overs
Unusual Attitude Recovery
Normal Circuit
Glide Circuit
Forced Landing

You don't do all these in one flight. You do a combination of these exercises in your first flight, then in your second you move onto other exercises but you are still required to demonstrate that you have retained your knowledge of the exercises in your first flight. Then the third flight is where it all comes together and you are required to show them everything you've been taught in the previous flights. If there is something you have never done before or don't do to their standard, they will teach you and all you need to do is relax, pay attention and try your best to do what you are told. Individual instructors will give you stress, some won't, but it is all part of the assessment. Apart from pre-flight checks, you should not required to do anything outside actually controlling the aircraft, i.e. radio calls, fuel/loading calculations.

Following your completion of the three Grob flights you will do three IFR simulators in the generic B200 Kingair sim. You will be given a briefing before-hand and you will have materials to study, so don't sweat. Just pay attention during the briefing and make sure you understand, because the information they give is vital towards your completion of the tasks, especially if you have no IFR experience. Don't worry about the CSU and multi-engine features of the sim, they will give you help with it so it should not be overly difficult. Each simulator session takes around 1-1.6 hours, and throughout the 3 sessions you will do the following:

Basic Aircraft Handling
ILS
Tracking radials on VOR/NDB
Point-to-point navigation with VOR+DME and NDB+DME
Missed Approach

They will give you practice at each exercise before grading you. The sim session consists of you taking off from Parafield, flying around Adelaide doing all the exercises above, finally doing an ILS back into Adelaide airport. There is no wind in the sim so you should be able to focus on learning and flying the sim.

Finally, there are two tests that FTA will require you to complete. The first test is a computer-based test, whereby you are given a joystick and asked to fly a simulated aircraft through a tunnel of squares. You do this 10 times and I suppose an average score will be drawn. The second test is a difficult IQ test, similar in style and format to the ones you may have done in Stage 1. It is quite hard and impossible to finish so just try your best.

If you finish your grading before the prescribed 14 days in Adelaide, you are free to leave provided you give adequate notice to Cathay and the FTA staff. Ask the HR personnel at Cathay for more details during your briefing, or shoot them an e-mail if you are an international applicant. Advanced flight grading took 6 days for me to complete, and I was in Adelaide for a total of 8.5 days.

Some hints that could make/break your day:

Take Notes
You will be given debriefs and because your ability to learn is being assessed, always take notes and do some mental flying during your spare time. There is a lot of information to process so this is important.

Speak with other people
Cadets can obviously give you good advice since they have successfully been through the process. They are very friendly and should help you if you initiate contact. Your fellow graders are also a source of help and support if you need it. Everyone there can and are willing to help you, you need to be proactive in getting their support.

Be humble and polite
Everyone doing Advanced Grading will have a certain amount of flying experience under his/her belt. I think part of flight grading looks at whether or not one can take criticism and learn how to do things differently from when they were first taught. I would suggest you open your mind to how they teach you, and try to assimilate it. Remember, their teaching is actually preparing you for an airline career at Cathay, so it is very important to open yourself to their training.

Know your stuff
They will give you a study guide. As I mentioned earlier, know the stuff thoroughly. You might not get quizzed or may not ever use the information inside the folder, but if the instructors notice your preparation, they will give you extra marks for it. However, in particular try to get to know the T/O and climb checklist for the B200 simulator. It will come in handy and help you get things done quickly in an aircraft that can fly at speeds up to 220 KIAS.

Keep cool
Last but definitely not least - keep cool. You will be overloaded at times but provided you are as cool as a cucumber, you should be able to cope with it all, especially during the simulator sessions.

[dagger19]

congrats holdmetight. seriously congrats.. =)

[Chase3139]

Congrats Holdmetight!

I genuinely appreciate your contribution to this forum and I believe your information and support have help a lot of wannabes, me included. You are a vivid example of how people work hard to strive for a cadetship. I hope that someday I can meet you in person.;)

Just one question about flight grading. Is it still true that people with less than 30 hours flying experience will be graded on a G115 for 7 sorties? I hope someone with the most up-to-date information like you can confirm this.

Congrats again, seriously.:ok:

[holdmetight]

Is it still true that people with less than 30 hours flying experience will be graded on a G115 for 7 sorties?

The cut-off for basic grading (7 sorties in G115) is 15 hours, while you must have at least 30 hours to qualify for advanced grading (3 sorties in G115 and 3 IFR sorties). According to the information that I have been provided with, those who have between 15-30 hours do intermediate grading (7 sorties in G115 and 3 aerobatic sorties). I'm not sure if they still provide intermediate grading though, as far as I know the last person to do it went early this year.

[holdmetight]

In case it helps anyone, here is the schedule by which I did the selection process. I was a local applicant, applying for the second time.

Submission of on-line application
16th December 2009

Received invitation e-mail for Stage 1
24th June 2010

Stage 1
8th July 2010

Received call for Stage 2/3
22nd July 2010

Stage 2
7th September 2010

Stage 3
8th September 2010

Received call for flight grading
6th October 2010

Flight grading
13th November 2010 - 21st November 2010

Acceptance call
2nd December 2010

[holdmetight]

People with more than 220 hours and have a CPL are put into the Advanced Entry course that takes 32 weeks. I am not sure but there is a TT course catering for people with 1500? hours or more, I think it is a 12 week course in Adelaide then back to HKG for type training.

[orangeboy]

Hi all,

Firstly a big congrats to Holdmetight, a very well deserved result :ok:

Secondly, i wanted to post up a bit of my experience with the selection process.

I did not make it past stage 1:ouch: .

A bit about the Stage 1 assessments - this was done in HK

Wombat test. - don't worry if you don't know too much about this test, they will send you a booklet when you are invited for stage 1, explaining what it exactly is and instructions on how to play the game - the only thing i can suggest for this is read the instructions carefully and try and be familiar as possible with them before turning up. At the start of the test on the day, the game will take you through the instructions one more time, but once that time elapses, you are on your own to play the game and you cannot revert back to the instructions once the game has started, so hence being familiar with how the game works before the big day. The game itself is quite fun, but definitely draining.

Personality test
You are given some statements that best describe yourself and you have to rank them according to how well they describe you. No tips here, other than monitor the time you have remaining to complete the test.

Reasoning Test.
There are 2 parts. The first part you are only given a few minutes to complete a couple of questions. Then the next part you are given more time to complete a more extensive range of questions. They do get quite hard towards the end, so don't be worried if you find that during the test! Only thing i can suggest is, go through and complete all the questions you can, then come back to the ones you couldn't complete the first time round - spending too much time on one question will most likely penalise you in time for completing other questions.

Job Knowledge Test.
Can't remember exactly, but there should be about 50-60 questions from memory. The test itself shouldn't be overly difficult if you have studied the JKI booklet and have knowledge upto a BAK standard.

Interview.
The interview itself was quite easy going now that i look back on it, offcourse during it at the time i was dead nervous!
If you haven't already, you should read back on what people have previously posted about the questions they were asked in the personal section, because i got alot of them during my first part. Such as

1) what made you want to be a pilot
2) why Cathay
3) what do you like about HK
4) Have you set yourself a time frame on which to become a professional pilot
5) how would a close friend describe you
6) why did you choose what you did at uni
7) whats your favourite plane and why
8) locations we fly to
9) where do we conduct our flight training
10) have you looked at the cost of housing here? do you know we don't offer housing allowance anymore
11) how do you pay for your training
12) what are your interests

There were a few more, but its all been covered before.

Technical part.
At the time of my interview, i only had about 20-25 hours, so nothing major. The captain i got was very nice, and overall i thought the questions he asked were very fair, not easy, but something that would not be unreasonably beyond someone of my flight experience. He used to be a flight instructor so he knew how to tailor questions to suit someone of my level. The thing that i look back on and really pops out at me was how quickly i was asked the questions, it was like a machine gun, the questions just kept coming and coming. never really had a chance to stop. But it did go by very quick, before i knew it the interview was finished!

he started off with basic questions that are found in the JKI booklet, then moved onto questions of BAK level and very general questions about the aircraft i flew

1) how did you find the JKI booklet
2) what is the difference between true north and magnetic north
3) given magnetic north is this and variaton is this, what is my magnetic direction
4) what are the cycles of the piston engine
5) hows it different to a jet engine
6) what is ISA
7) given this height, what is my temp in ISA
8) tell me about the engine on your aircraft
9) how much fuel does it have, what fuel does it use
10) what plane is this? what will the controls look like if i am turning right

There were a whole bunch more that extended from the questions above (i.e. went to a greater depth), but i think these give a general idea of the level that was asked of someone of my experience. I think it really depends on who you get for your interview, so the questions probably are never the same between any 2 captains.

I did answer some questions that weren't quite right the first time, but the captain will lead you to the right answer in a subtle way to see if you can work out that you've made a mistake.

A week or so after my Stage 1 i was invited for the ICAO english test. This test does require concentration, but if you can speak and understand english reasonably well, then you should be fine. The test is made up of a few parts and goes for no more than about 40 mins.

1) you are given some words and you have explain what you think they mean e.g. if someone was to say "you're in a for a fight with this one", what do you think it means?
2) listen to some recordings of coversations, then answer questions about them
3) describe a picture, what do you see? then answer questions as if you were the person in the picture.
4) given a list of items, you select a few then explain why you chose them
5) watch a short video, answer questions relating to the video


I hope that helps, happy to answer anymore questions.

Rough time frame of the process

applied late Oct 2009

first interview Sept 2010

ICAO english test Sept 2010

Dec 2010 notified i wasn't successful.:uhoh: - i actually got called, not emailed (although an email did follow the phone call)

It is a long process, but don't give up hope and continue with whatever you are doing be it training, working, studying etc, but don't just sit there and wait for luck to come! I would definitely recommend getting some flying lessons under your belt if you applied with 0 hours, you will certainly learn more about flying than reading books!



Goodluck everyone :ok:

[6cfn]

Hi there.

I've been a long time reader but first time post-er.

Has anyone been invited to stage 1 on Jan 10 in Vancouver?

And for those that have been to stage 1 in Vancouver, are there any differences between the ones mentioned in this thread earlier and Vancouver interviews?

Thanks

[Cloudz69]

hey 6cfn,

I have been invited to stage 1 on Jan 10 in Vancouver. Do you live in Canada as well ? Maybe we can meet up in YVR before the interview...

[AsL402]

Congrats holdmetight!!! You certainly deserve this with all the work you have put into this.

Thanks for the detailed information about the Advanced Grading. Hopefully I will be able to follow your footsteps when I reapply! Good luck with your training!

[futureTP]

holdmetight:ok: that's awesome news mate happy for you! just shows that if you put in the work you get rewarded. Never take no for an answer!!

Have you got a start date yet for your course?? i'm guessing u'll be on CP42 its starting in march, all the best mate and good luck on the course.

@NFAM how did your stage 2/3 go mate u've been a bit quite as well I hope it was good news!

[pahwa1989]

hello guys, even i applied for the same...but i didnt get any kind of mail. r they still sending their emails?

[orangeboy]

pahwa, are u waiting for an invitation to stage 1? if so, it may take a while before you get the invitation email - most people wait from 6-12 months after applying before being emailed.

[coobg002]

hey guys, a few people have already asked this but I havent seen any answers for it. Does anyone have an educated guess as to how many years the cadets can expect to be second officers. Ive got 2nd stage on the 11th in HK and I'd like to have some idea if they whip out that question. cheers

[orangeboy]

they asked me that during stage 1 now that you mention it, i said 4-5, i think someone mentioned it before.

[Stallone]

from zero hours

Cadet - 61weeks training in Adelaide (end up with CPL and fATPL?? correct me if wrong)
Second Officer - 4-5yrs (baby-sitter to autopilot system + paperwork)
Junior First Officer - 1yr (right seat)
First Officer - 10yrs or so (right seat)
Captain (left seat)

[dagger19]

FYI, i called hk HR yesterday afternoon as i wanted to suggest if i can switch my interview location from currently scheduled HK to SG. I was told that it is possible but they cannot promise me a interview at SG. There will be interviews conducted in singapore in 2011, but she cant confirm the month. Even so, she is sure that its not gonna happen in Jan and Feb. so for those who is waiting for their shot at SG, keep your hopes high!

[futureTP]

Coobg... promotion from SO to JFO depends upon quiet a few factors 1)CX expansion 2)No of JFO's needed 3) No of SO's ready for JFO on the seniority list and so on...

The minimum time which is mentioned in the contracts for cadets is 36 months and then the above mentioned factors come into play!

If anyone has more recent info on times to JFO feel free to post here... but expect anything from 3-5 years.

good luck with stage 2/3!

happy landings...

FTP

[blueflight76]

Well done holdmetight- well deserved!:D,
I'm still awaiting word re:flight grading, really hope to meet and thank you in the future;
Do you know if all advanced flight grading is done as per your post? (Grob115)or is there another catagory done on the TB10 tobago?

[SloppyJoe]

Stallone is pretty much spot on for upgrade times.

[holdmetight]

Advanced Flight Grading is for people with between 30 and 220 hours TT, while those who have between 220-1500? do Advanced Entry Flight Grading. The former consists of 3 Grob flights and 3 IFR sims, while the latter consists of 3? general handling flights and 4 VFR navs, all on the Tobago TB10.

[FL999]

pahwa, are u waiting for an invitation to stage 1? if so, it may take a while before you get the invitation email - most people wait from 6-12 months after applying before being emailed.


6-12 months? Try 18 months and counting.

[initial-vin]

Will someone be kind enough to send me the JKI booklet please ^^

want to start studying b4 they email me >.<

[G-VSSH]

I recently had my Stage 1 interview in Hong Kong, and would love to share the questions that was asked...

a) Personal

1) Please introduce yourself
2) Are your flying lessons incorporated into your university aviation degree? Why and why not?
3) How has your parents influenced you in your choice of university degree?
4) What is involved in your university studies? What have you learnt as a result of your studies?
5) What made you interested in the aviation industry?
6) How has your university degree relate to your current job?
7) Does your parents, partner and company know about you being here? What are their views on you being here?
8) What did you think made you fail last time?
9) What have you done to improve on the matters just mentioned?
10) How did you prepare for this interview?
11) Why do you want to become a pilot?
12) Are your parents and partner supportive of you being a pilot?
13) How would your friends describe you?
14) What have you got to offer to Cathay Pacific if selected?
15) Did you apply to other cadet pilot programs? If so, what do you think went wrong in those application.
16) Why did you choose Cathay Pacific?
17) What do you think of Hong Kong? Will you be happy living here?
18) How have you dealt with conflicts in the past? Provide an example please.

b) Program Knowledge
1) What aircrafts does Cathay Pacific operate?
2) What's the engine on the B747-400 and A340-300?
3) What aircraft does Cathay Pacific have on order?
4) Name 5 destination we fly to in Europe
5) Where will you be sent for training if successfully chosen
6) Which airport does that flight school operate out of?
7) What aircraft will you be flying during your training down there?
8) What license will you gain after the completion of the program?
9) What position will you be offered after the completion of the program? How long will you stay in that position?
10) What choice of fleet will you be given?

c) Technical
Note: The technical questions were chosen by the pilot interviewer during the personal section of the interview, as he was seen circling and writing down the questions during my chat with the HR girl. Items were based on your level of knowledge. I was given more jet aircraft questions due to my working background.

1) Circumference of the Earth measured at the Equator
2) Is it possible to provide a fairly accurate estimate of the distance between two points (e.g: A and B) if they are both on the same meridian?
3) Where approximately is Hong Kong in refence to Lats and Longs
4) Maximum rated thrust on B747-400
5) Draw on whiteboard the four stages of thrust generation for piston
6) Do exactly the same for jet engine
7) Identify differences between the two
8) Draw VSI and explain how it works
9) If the static port is blocked during a climb, will VSI read 0 or maintain constant after aircraft levels off?
10) Name types of drag
11) Explain how the winglets work
12) What other wing tip devices are available?
13) What is aspect ratio? Explain why winglets are essentially affecting the aspect ratio.
14) What is the lift formula
15) What is the most critical aspect in the lift formula?
16) If we doubled the speed and halved the size of wing, how is the lift affected?
17) Does the airflow over and below the wing flow in a same direction from leading edge to trailing edge? Explain.
18) How does flaps affect lift?
19) What is the name for the point where lift is said to be acting from?

That was pretty much all the questions asked. But as I mentioned, technical questions can vary since pilots choose the questions based on your flying or working experience, and is selected pretty much during the interview at random. Be sure you are absolutely clear on the things inside the JKI as majority of the questions will be from there.

For me, the interview went on for about 60 minutes. Although on average, it normally takes about 35-45 minutes.

Hope this helps!

[Stallone]

thanks for sharing..

hope you'll get called for the next round..

maybe i know when did you go for your first try, and when did you re-apply?

[G-VSSH]

I initially interviewed in Dec 2008. Re-applied Jan 2010, called for interview in early Nov 2010

[Stallone]

u hold a HKID??

December 2008 i-cadet still not implemented right?

[G-VSSH]

Yes, I was born in HK, hence HKID holder.

[dagger19]

G-VSSH:

for personal Q9, may i know how did you answer that?
i guess they really queue the applicants up.
thanks for sharing.
are you going back to aussie or stay in hk till stage 2?

[G-VSSH]

For Q9, it really does depends on what you've done. I've simply gone back, reviewed my strengths and weaknesses, and worked on them... And this was reflected during the interview and through my academic results and reference letter given by my employer...

I will be going back to the land of kangaroo and wait for the email to come...

[Stallone]

ok, so u flew to HKG for the interview.. How much did it cost you including the hotel??

[dagger19]

For Q9, it really does depends on what you've done. I've simply gone back, reviewed my strengths and weaknesses, and worked on them... And this was reflected during the interview and through my academic results and reference letter given by my employer...

did you get the reference letter from your current employer? is the letter with reference to a pilot interview?

[Stallone]

b) Program Knowledge
1) What aircrafts does Cathay Pacific operate?
2) What's the engine on the B747-400 and A340-300?
3) What aircraft does Cathay Pacific have on order?
4) Name 5 destination we fly to in Europe
5) Where will you be sent for training if successfully chosen
6) Which airport does that flight school operate out of?
7) What aircraft will you be flying during your training down there?
8) What license will you gain after the completion of the program?
9) What position will you be offered after the completion of the program? How long will you stay in that position?
10) What choice of fleet will you be given?

5) Adelaide, Australia?
6) Flight Training Adelaide (FTA) in Parafield Airport?
7) Grobb G115 during flight grading, but will cadets train in that? what other aircrafts will be used in the 61wks?
8) CPL, fATPL?? i heard abt the P2X, what is that??
10) Do all cadets start with B777 once become S/O??

[SloppyJoe]

5 & 6 correct, 7 don't know

8 - You end up with a HKG CPL ME/IR not an atpl or fatpl. You do not get a p2x rating either that is something you get in HKG with CX before starting a a line pilot.

10 - Chances are you wont get a choice, they will put you where they need you. SOs start on either the 747, 777 or A340 not just the 777.

[Stallone]

thanks for the enlightenment

[holdmetight]

You fly the Grob115, Tobago TB10, Diamond DA42 and Mudry CAP10 as an ab initio cadet. AE guys only fly the Diamond DA42.

[G-VSSH]

For Q9, it really does depends on what you've done. I've simply gone back, reviewed my strengths and weaknesses, and worked on them... And this was reflected during the interview and through my academic results and reference letter given by my employer... did you get the reference letter from your current employer? is the letter with reference to a pilot interview?

Yes, reference related to the pilot interview, and my employer's observation of character and qualities...

[dagger19]

Quote:
For Q9, it really does depends on what you've done. I've simply gone back, reviewed my strengths and weaknesses, and worked on them... And this was reflected during the interview and through my academic results and reference letter given by my employer... did you get the reference letter from your current employer? is the letter with reference to a pilot interview?
Yes, reference related to the pilot interview, and my employer's observation of character and qualities...

so ur current employer is very supportive huh? i seriously doubt i can do it over in my company. i will try to ask my previous employer.

did others get reference letter with reference for a pilot interview as well?

[A340x]

HI everyone!
Just wanted to clarify something about the housing ( and yes I have read all the posts on this thread ). Do the international cadets get housing once they become FO or Captain within the company, ICadets are hired on local terms, but is it for the whole career?


Also, I was just reading in the "fragrant harbour forum" that only a certain percentage of cadets make it to FO when its time for upgrade. If true, can anyone tell me the percentage?
http://www.pprune.org/fragrant-harbour/405260-local-pilots-fly-off-handle-expat-perks-7.html (post #129)

[crwjerk]

You MAY get a housing allowance once you make Captain, which at this point will be at least 15 years. You probably would get a housing allowance if you all waited for a better package. IMHO

[Bye Bye Baby]

The wait has started for those with a little foresight. 60 offered a start and 1 single person accepted.
Anything to fly a big shiny jet..................I think not.
Well done to the 59 you are worth more, don't let these fools tell you otherwise.:ok:

[Stallone]

well, those are for DESO

and they were given the chance 2yrs ago, which by now they will have been in a different situation

if CX holds another new wave DESO now with the same condition that was offered to those 60, i believe everyone will jump at it

[crwjerk]

and they were given the chance 2yrs ago, which by now they will have been in a different situation

They were accepted 2 years ago as DESO's, yes, but never got a start date. Now they have been offered Cadet terms, which they have bravely rejected, what were they given the chance for, 2 years ago?????

[Stallone]

chance to join CX

just that CX delayed it until now

[404 Titan]

Stallone

More accurately CX promised them DESO positions in 2008 on full expat terms only to renege on that agreement in late 2010 after they had been in the hold file for two years. The Hong Kong Governments “Race Discrimination Ordinance” doesn’t prevent CX from paying full expat terms. CX just chooses to ignore it.

[Bye Bye Baby]

Don't worry too much stallone, big shiny jet, big shiny jet, do it for free, big shiny jet, big shiny jet, you are worthless, big shiny jet, big shiny jet..................................... I weep for the future, big shiny jet...:ugh:
This was December (ie the current month) so I don't need to surmise what they would say as it has already been said loud and clear "shove it Mr CX I'm worth more".

[DDobinpilot]

Hey guys, just wondering got my offer for Stage 2 through, when they say "Aptitude test (Computer bases/ Time allowed: 75mins)" is this the non Wombat test? Because I believe the wombat test is 90mins? Also if I was doing the wombat test would they send through the instructions for it?

[dagger19]

Wombat test is different from the aptitude test.
you can try to search the details regarding the aptitude test along this thread.
hope it helps.

[VarigMD11]

So here's my question:

I have a South African CPL+ME/IR and 1300 hours total time. I have been asked to attend an interview in Joburg next month for the Cadet Pilot Programme. I am busy studying for my ATPLS at the moment. If accepted, will I have to do the 61 week course in Adelaide or is there a different programme for cadets who already have experience (im thinking that i dont need to re-do all the ab initio flying again?) Im a bit confused to say they least!

Any help appreciated.

Thanks

[herrtob]

help is you can get all the information you request from this thread.

cut the long story short, sort of no you don't need to.

[nmcpilot]

As far as I am aware they seem to state if you are doing the Wombat aptitude test or not, it seems some people do it some people don't. I wish that was the case with the numerical test! Anyone got any advice for the numericy test in stage 2?

Or perhaps any links with tests that are similar? Think I am going to need all the help I can get with this one!

Also was anyone here at Stage 1 assesments in London on October 5th?

[midnightsky]

Good day guys,

Anyone here from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?
I just received the invitation for the initial test interview in Kuala Lumpur and I was wondering if there's any fellow mate out there that would like to study together? :)

[Stallone]

woah KL, what's the date?

[midnightsky]

Mine is on the 24th of January 2011.
Applied somewhere around June.

[nmcpilot]

Just reading up on Cathay's routes, I have listed the A340 routes as Auckland, Brisbane, Moscow, Rome, Vancouver, Delhi and J'Burg.

Then looked on the Cathay website and they also list Zurich have they stopped this route? Or is it a codeshare route as I have looked on route maps and searched for flights etc but can't seem to find a flight to there? Also on the fleet website it lists that the A340 flies to San Francisco and Toronto? Is that correct? As I thought Toronto was just the 777-300er and San francisco just the 747?

[RedsunsDriver]

Cathay still interviewing international cadets???

[futureTP]

Check your PM mate!

[HEALY]

NMCPILOT

The 340 doesnt fly to Toronto (B773ER) or San Fran (B744 and B773ER). It does Joburg seasonally and I think the 330 does the Moscow a fair bit. As well as flying to all regional points the 340 also does Perth in Winter occasionally due to freight requirements.
CX use to fly to Zurich but as u stated it must be a codeshare flight now.
You can also add London for the 340 however LON is a dogs brekky at the moment with all 3 types having a bit of a go (mainly 744).

Things change alot at the moment with aircraft types mainly due to loads and also finding crew must be a challenge with numerous upgrades and downgrades of aircraft type.

[Stallone]

where to check which aircraft flies to which location specifically?

googled but can't get extensive answers..

[nmcpilot]

Thanks for that Healy, yes I think their website doesnt get updated too much!

[chaz88z]

This would be your answer
Fleet Info (CX) - FlyerGuide Wiki (http://www.flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Fleet_Info_(CX))

I might post a debrief as well as I attended Stage 2 in Nov. But didnot pass through.

When I arrived in HK, I asked if I could talk to the pilots on board.

When I told them I was going for the Cadet Program both of their answers were:
"Well good luck, it will be really challenging living on those terms an conditions."
They told me that a lot of SO are living outside Hong-kong (Shenzen, Tawain and further more)

For the interview day we had :
Group exercise
Aptitude test
Interview
"Lunch"
Maths / Psy ttest
Flight planning

I will focus on the interview...

First the HR lady asked me questions about myself, my family.
Typical question : What do you parents think of you working in HK ?

Then we went on the technical part.
"What aircraft is this" showing the model on the table
Well a 777... not 300ER so wether a 300 or 200 version.
I could-not remember how to distinguish them (8 or 10 doors) but said the model looked quite long so I would go for the 300 version.

She (the captain) asked me to look at the engine to make a difference...

Well both 200 and 300 have RR engine.
"Tell me more"
Both are Trent 800 series
"Not Quite!"
Hmm... on my paper I had T800 for both of them, but didn't deem necessary to know the exact series...

Even when I admitted I didn't know the exact series she hask me to identify the engine...
It was kind of harsh.

Then we went on question regarding routes :
What is the longest route CX is flying?
HK-NY
How long is it ?
15h
You sure?
Yes, on the website it is said 15h30. (depending on the winds and wether you go HK-NY or NY-HK it might be quite different)
"Okey then go to the board" she told me, she always had a strange look and attitude, as she wasn't happy with anything I said (other people told me she was acting the same during their interview, so you need to don't mind)
How much fuel would we burn on the flight NY-HK ?
well 8 tons an hour, 15 hours, a gross 120 tons.
She asked me to write it, and then tell me what must we add to that to get the actual fuel we need to board.
-Taxi fuel
I said 2 tons as in NY taxi can be pretty long. "NO it's 1 Ton" she responded...
Okay... Then I wrote 1 ton...... (you're the captain after all...)
-Final Reserve, 45 min ? No, 30 min
Ok then 4 tons
-Alternate fuel
Let's make this 6 tons
And (as I'm french I couldn't spell it properly) but I said the "en-route reserve"
Answer : That's not a reserve... I answered back : Well it's 5% of what we consume during the route.
Ok, 5% that makes another 6 tons.

And now begin the first part:
Well as I am the captain (she said) and you are only the SO, I don't take your 6 tons, I take only 1 ton. How do you react?

So i went on, you can't, the rule is to take 5% so 6 tons
"But you know, I'm used to fly this route, 1 tons is okay, we never have to divert, nobody will notice"
Hmm no, we need to take what's on the blackboard.
"No, 5% is company policy she told me, 1% is okay for the reglementation"
We have to follow the company policy I told her.
She answered, anyway, I'm the captain, so I decide (smthg like that)
So I'm Off your plane madam....

That was kind of funny but not really....

Then we when on the Weather questions, what is the phenomenon we encounter in HK.
Describe me a typhoon.
If HK airport was close were shall we divert ? (wrong answer, I said somewhere in China, for example Guangzou (I thought about the airport where CX does the base trainings)
Not quite. As well, every time I answered something wrong, the interviewer was doing stange face and acting harsh... It was a bit annoying !

In fact she was thinking of Macau, and I was thinking of diverting because of a Typhoon....

At the end, she said something I didn't notice on that moment but there it is :
"If you want to re-apply you can ask the HR lady by mail..."

What a kind of interview...
I thought an interview would have always been a kind discussion between 2 aeronautic-enthousiasts (As it was for stage 1 eventhough the questions were tough as well)... Not Quite...
I assume I'm learning to grow older this way !

Anyway, good luck to anybody going to Stage2 soon...

[SW1]

Flight Timetable, Trip Planner - Cathay Pacific (http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_GB/manageyourtrip/timetable) its a pdf file with all the timetables showing what aircraft they use to wherever.

[crwjerk]

reference the above.......

5% CONTINGENCY is almost NEVER taken on such a long flight. 5% is required later in the flight towards the end. We have a minimum level that will be planned if needed. 1% would never be suggested so it is an unrealistic question.

[suntorytimo]

Chaz... sorry to hear that, that doesn't sound pleasant at all.
May I ask, were the fuel burn figures you used given to you in the interview?

[SloppyJoe]

Chaz88z

If what you say is how the interview was conducted you need to write to the recruitment department detailing your experience, I would also suggest getting in touch with others who had the same experience if you have their contact details and urging them to do the same. There would have been an HR person in the room also I expect and they will be thinking along the same lines but may not bring it up but would be asked about it if people explain the situation you encountered.

Sounds strange to me. Min contingency is 5% from overhead or abeam the last en route alternate on a ULH flight. Macau as an alternate in a typhoon???????? You can sometimes see Macau from HKG airport, Taipei or Manila are more likely. China is a sensible answer in an interview. This is all stuff you should not be expected to know. Saying 2 tonnes for taxi is also a good answer as it shows you are aware the taxi in JFK can be long and you are from Europe so have obviously done a lot of research. Fuel questions are in regards to company policy which to be honest you should not know as it is not meant to be publicly available, you gave good answers and these are things you get asked on line checks as an SO, how much fuel do we need, explain contingency, how much is the min fuel from so and so to continue to destination? I am sorry you encountered such a :mad: but to be honest those volunteering to conduct the interviews at present may be that sort of person.

Seriously out of order, this Captain should not only be removed from doing interviews she should not be in charge of an aircraft.

Come to think of it interviews are all filmed I believe, you need to let them know as for a cadet applicant your answers are all sound.

[nmcpilot]

Another question that seems to pop up is what countries does the Transpolar route from HKG - JFK go through have plotted the great circle track and can only really see it goes through China, Russia, near mongolia and korea, goes close to the north pole then through Canada and to the US am I correct? :confused:

[nmcpilot]

Also just wondered if anyone knows whether being a smoker rules you out for the CX programme? Just thinking if anyone has gone through the medical part and said they smoked and still been allowed to continue through?

[mtcaust]

i had the same interviewer.. she was trying to put you under pressure. from your post it seems like you didn't handle it very well.even if your answer was completely correct she will still question it. pretty standard interviewing technique. regarding the fuel situation, her attitude to the situation was because she wanted to see how you would respond to a captain making a bad decision.. she wasn't "just being harsh". the engine question you had was also one you should have known straight away. in every post on pprune with past interview questions it says "know how to identify all aircraft types, engines, mtow, range, ceiling etc". The fact that you couldn't answer such a basic and expected question probably showed her straight away that you didn't know your stuff or were under prepared . sorry mate but she ran a standard interview and you failed. i had her for stage 2, and while she was quite tough and intimidating, it was a good experience because i was actually prepared

[chaz88z]

Yeah mtcaust,
I am not at all saying I was the best and perfectly prepared and should have been taken.

But it was really unexpected to have such an attitude from an interviewer... (Whether it was from CX or another company)
That was my point of view before going to the interview.
As it is a Cadet programme, the people that you are interviewing do not have a full ATPL and line experience. It seems that yes, she was puttin me to the limit. But I never got the impression I got a single answer RIGHT....

It might be so disappointing to me because of my stage 1 interview experience which went very smoothly and was very kind, even if I had tough questions, and even questions I couldn't answer...

I will not complain to CX as it must be a way of interviewing (There is the HR lady in the room, and I assume she has her word to say if anything goes wrong)
It is just more like a warning to other people, that the interview can be very tough !

Anyway, I asked for feedbacks from CX... It was refused... So i'll never know why i didn't pass.... (Maybe it was the personality test :bored: )

[404 Titan]

chaz88z

I suggest you harden up sunshine. You have just experienced the “Good Cop/Bad Cop” interview. It is a very common interview technique. You may not have liked it but it is designed to push you to the limit to see how you handle yourself under pressure. We don’t want to see some parrot telling us the answers to questions they have learnt verbatim. Anyone can do that. We want people that can handle themselves when under considerable pressure. You were clearly ill prepared. Next time, if there is a next time, I suggest you do a little more research on interview techniques and practice them.

[suntorytimo]

I think you guys are being harsh. Chaz's replies to the questions and his attitude didn't seem to be as terrible as you seem to think. All I could gather was that he was telling us how his interview was intense and unexpected. How exactly could he have done better? Tell the interviewer to go :mad: themselves when they challenged his responses? Cower in the foetal position? Seems he kept himself composed and answered the questions as best he could.

[TFFP]

Hi,

I'm just about to finish my application and I'm kind of struggling with the question:

"What experience have you gained which may assist you as a pilot?"

I think that is quite a difficult question for somebody who has just left school, begun their university studies and has basically no work-experience whatsoever...
I mean there would only be the possibility to refer to my school days, experiences I gained in sports or private life. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think it would be way more suitable to answer that question with experiences from a professional life (which I can't offer for sure...)

I would be glad if someone in the same situation could share some thoughts or give a hint what you think might be the best way to answer that question.

Thanks a lot :ok:

[404 Titan]

suntorytimo

The point is nothing should be unexpected in an interview and if it is then you haven’t prepared enough. CX is going to spend a considerable amount of money training you from scratch. The last thing they want is after having selected someone they flake out at their first hard check. This isn’t an interview for MacDonald’s and people should realise that.

How exactly could he have done better?

Preparation.

Tell the interviewer to go themselves when they challenged his responses? Cower in the foetal position?

Your sarcastic response suggests to me you have no idea how to answer an interview question, especially one you don’t know the answer to.

Seems he kept himself composed and answered the questions as best he could.

Obviously he didn't otherwise we wouldn't be here discussing it.:ugh:

[404 Titan]

TFFP

I'm just about to finish my application and I'm kind of struggling with the question:

"What experience have you gained which may assist you as a pilot?"

The question isn’t asking for work experience. It is asking you have you done anything in you life that would be a benefit to you as a pilot. If you haven’t it is probably an indication that you don’t have a passion for this industry. I’m sorry to be blunt but if you have to think about this question then I have to question your motives and the recruitment department will probably do the same.

[herrtob]

Guys, first of all thank you all very much for your precious input.

My wait is over~~~~

Stage 2 on 20th Jan in HK, guys with more or less the same date please pm if you guys wanna do some pre stage 2 preparation/collaboration. cheers.

will report back with the latest Stage 2 drill "next year"

good luck and thank you

[crwjerk]

I would like to add my 2 cents worth.

CX is going to spend a considerable amount of money training you from scratch.


Don't be fooled by Corporate speak 404.... They actually make a lot of money training cadets and it costs them ZIP.

The interviewers are going to use harsh techniques as my colleague 404 Titan said, due to the fact that they want committed people who will not just jump ship, when they learn that Hong Kong is far too expensive to live without any expat allowances. They want balls. Show some.

[dagger19]

i dont think you can judge a person's commitment by asking them such questions. its not so right to ask question of a DESO standard for a cadet position. im thinking they might be asking too much from a 0 or limited flying hr interviewee.

[herrtob]

dagger, truth is they have A LOT of applicants with hundreds of hours lining up for the cadet course, and as a business organization they would liek to get the best equiped candidates, and rightly so, as long as they can afford to employ the "high"(in quotation due to subjectiveness, not sarcasm) standard and still fill enough of the "vacancies"

for applicants with no hours at all like myself, we'll just need up our game and try to impress, no point whining

[herrtob]

by the way, wondering if anyone had encounter this before...

i did JKT in 1A (as most ppl would have)

now they have sent me the JKI again in the stage 2 invitation email, as well as having the JKT in my "menu"

it doesn't worry me but any opinion? should i be emailing them about it and probably take this off my itinerary to take some of my load off the long day?

for those looking for a dim light of the latest stage 2 tasks, here goes.

The following assessments will be conducted during the day.
- Personality Test (Time allowed: 45mins)
- Aptitude test (Computer bases/ Time allowed: 75mins)
- Numeracy Test (Time allowed: 30mins)
- Job Knowledge Test (Time allowed: 45mins)
- Group Exercise (60mins)
- Flight Planning Exercise (90mins)
- Panel Interview (General and Technical/ 60mins)

reporting time is 0830 and concluding at about 1800

[tobz92_ymen]

anyone got an interview in Australia, if so when and where?

[chaz88z]

CX is going to spend a considerable amount of money training you from scratch.

Well let's do a bit of calculation :

Let say the training is worth 80.000$

With your Cadet pay, you don't get the housing allowance, 1500$/month
1500x12=18000$ per year.
In 4 year CX get its investment straight back into its pocket....
20 grands per SO per year... and you have still 20+ year to stay in CX that make a rough 400 grands per guy.... Well they are spending a lot of money for the cadet, indeed....

The thing is:
I may not indeed seemed really enjoyed by the package they offer.
(2 days before the interview, I was talking to some guys in HK telling them I would surely leave CX one day When you get valuable experience as an FO for exemple... There are a lot of juicy contracts in Asia for rated 777 FO.... My motivation was surely not strong enough!)

Anyway. As Titan you're twice older than me, I assume I can spend a little time out there "hardening"! (no offence mate)

It seems as well that CX is gettin older guys in the cadet scheme (~30) most of the time with a wife an kids (for example: the guy that passed on my day, and a french guy some days earlier), so that when all the family move to HK, Daddy won't make them move somewhere else 5 years later when he get his proper TR and FO time.

[suntorytimo]

404Titan, you failed to actually tell us how he should have responded, and I suspect you don't know yourself. You are very good at giving vague advice such as "prepare more" and "harden up sunshine", this is hardly inspirational.

[holdmetight]

Unfortunately I have to concur with 404 when he says that lack of preparation was the key. People often study their butts off because they anticipate questions that will be of high technical standard. This is true and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of technical knowledge in a CX pilot interview. However what people don't always realize is that mental/psychological preparation is equally important, simply because being a pilot requires a certain degree of ability to deal with stress and pressure. Clearly if you go in expecting a pilot interview to be relaxed and friendly, that is a good indication that your understanding of the line of work is lacking. You don't always get smooth sailing for every flight and almost every day you turn up at work, something will be different and it will be up to you to deal with it as it comes, all the while keeping the entire operation safe and efficient. You cannot be a good airline pilot without being able to deal with this type of stress, which is why the interviewers deliberately put pressure on candidates. They want to find out if someone will crack.

I don't think it is any particular thing that chaz88z said that caused him to fail. I would simply say he was not prepared well enough psychologically, which probably showed in the way he dealt with the interview.

[404 Titan]

suntorytimo

Why should I sit here and spoon feed some of you how to properly prepare for CX cadet interview. As someone who has been a cadet interviewer in the past I am more than qualified at advising you how to prepare for the interview but I am not going to. That is your job to research. What I will say is that you have 45-60 minutes to sell yourself to us. If you can’t, you won’t make it. The interview isn’t all about being able to answer the questions but how you answer those questions.

crwjerk

Don't get me started on how much the company is saving with the lack of housing for Icads but that is another topic.

[nmcpilot]

Does anyone know whether smoking rules you out in the medical in stage 3? I only smoke a little bit, although I would have thought if it did the question would have come up before they flew me out to stage 2 lol. :ugh: Just people (people who have never had an interview or any association with CX) keep telling me that CX don't take smokers..

[SW1]

nmcpilot, all I can say to the people that are saying that is BULL****. I smoke about 20 a day and made it through my medical, chest X ray and all the other tests. Be aware they are extremely pernickety about any potential problems such as heart murmurs etc. and if you have anything that they are concerned about be prepared to go see a specialist at a large cost to yourself. But smoking will not count against you. The doctor will advise you to stop and tell you its bad for you but they will not bin you because of it. If i was you, I would be concentrating my hardest on making it to the medical!!! You have a very long day on Stage 2 before you even get to walk into the cathay AMEs office.:ugh:

[nmcpilot]

Oh Indeed Sw1 I probably won't make it into the room! But thought I'd ask hehe.

[SW1]

Well you wont make it if you spend your time worrying about a trivial matter like that. I would worry about about the 3 panel interview on day 2 where they will rip you to pieces if you dont know what youre talking about. Even when you get down to ADL, you will see some of the cadets smoke so seriously its a non event. In addition off topic, just so you dont end up like our friend chazz! If you dont know what model the 777 on that table is, PLEASE pick up the fu!@ing thing and look at the engines. They say GE90 on them so dont be a dick and say you dont know what it is . Being asked to "identify" the model is a leading question, the woman in question was directing you towards the answer. Regarding the fuel stuff, slightly harsh I think, but you messed up long before it got to the fuel requirements. Pray to god you dont have Will (in his role as evil First Officer) he was particularly pressing....

PS nmcpilot, if you need a fag, on the 24th floor in the visitors lounge, theres a large balcony with smoking area where you can admire the view of the high ground next to Tung Chung and the runways. If you can see anything, gets quite smoggy in HK you know!

[chaz88z]

PLEASE pick up the fu!@ing thing and look at the engines. They say GE90 on them so dont be a dick and say you dont know what it is


Well maybe we need to remind candidates the engines used on the 777 fleet :
I agree with you, GE90 (115klbs) is used but on the 777-300ER
(no need to look at the engine to identify this one : Raked wingtip)
then we have 777-200 or 777-300
777-200 has RR Trent 800 series (exactly 875, that I didn't know)
777-300 has RR Trent 800 series (exactly 892, that I didn't know) but you have to search all the sh*it of the internet to find these numbers)

So I took the f*cking plane as you said. But found a little RR sticker... Well I knew that already...

Anyway. Thank you for you comments, (nice or bad ones) that's quite helpful!

[SW1]

Fair enough chazz, I got asked the same thing and saw GE90 so didnt get myself into any other problems. Live and learn. You can always try again in 6-12months.

877 used on the 777-200 series. Trent 800 series, 77000 LBS of thrust. 892 and 895 used on the 300 series.

[herrtob]

FCOM states
777-200 : Trent 877
777-300 : Trent 884B

presumably not the same thing as @chaz88z
777-200 has RR Trent 875,
777-300 has RR Trent 892,

???

i must admit i don't know the difference though, would someone please clarify?

[SW1]

Its all academic now anyway so.....

[nmcpilot]

884B? Looking on the boeing site it says the options for the 777-300 are :

Pratt & Whitney 4098
98,000 lb
Rolls-Royce Trent 892
90,000 lb
General Electric 90-94B
93,700 lb

[6cfn]

So do any of the 773s in cx use RR Trent 895?

[crwjerk]

It will look a lot better if you don't pick up the plane and look for the stickers...... The GE and Rollers are easy to tell apart just by looking at them! Also, as stated , the ER has raked wingtips. There are loads of differences but if you are shown to be too smart, they'll delve and ask you all about them until you dig a hole for yourself. :cool:

[BigglesNBella]

Pray to god you dont have Will (in his role as evil First Officer) he was particularly pressing....

Can you elaborate on this please?

[SW1]

Certainly,

I had a panel of 3 pilots for my interview. The first asked HR type questions, the second more technical stuff. The third one mentioned earlier, perused my logbook and other documents. He stayed silent throughout the 1hour 15 minutes interview duration and at the very end picked into the answers I had given before to the technical guy. His tone was quite condescending at times, nitpicking about all my answers and generally trying to stress me out ( that was his job after all) and Im a commercial pilot so I should and did handle the pressure. It was all part of the interview process. Apparently this was done to all candidates on my day, although some peoples interviews only lasted 30 mins (they were rejected at the end of the first day) so it shows you that they will keep you in that seat until they are satisfied about what you know and your motives.

[BigglesNBella]

I see. Was this stage 2 or 3? Sorry I couldn't find your previous post about it. I had Will for my stage 2 and was asked a similar fuel loading question. I knew the burn on the 777-300ER in gallons per hour and that was about it but with reasoning and some help from him I got through it. He sure made me feel like I was clueless though!

[SW1]

It was during my stage 2 interview. The Stage 3 was relatively simple after that!!

[holdmetight]

I'll stick my hand into the fire for this one, but as usual do your own research to find out if my post is accurate or not. If not, please feel free to correct!

So here we have some information:

B777-200 - Trent 877/875
B777-300 - Trent 884B/892/895

All these engines should essentially be the same engine, but were each "tailored" to the specifications and requirements of each individual airline. So if the Cathay FCOM states that -200 and -300 uses 877 and 884B, it simply means that the original Trent 800 was modified especially for use with that particular CX aircraft model. I am not too sure how this is done, but one way I can imagine would be to re-program some computer components in the ECU to produce an optimum amount of thrust. This is similar to an engine-derate process, as far as my understanding goes.

Hope this helps, or at least does not create further misunderstanding.

[BigglesNBella]

It was during my stage 2 interview. The Stage 3 was relatively simple after that!!

Yeah that's for sure! I was trying to help out my group by encouraging them to stay composed even when the interviewer asks questions that you have no business knowing the answer to but then when the day was through I think I was one of if not the they used that technique on.

[DDobinpilot]

Does anyone know whether the CX company Fcom is available online at all?

[dagger19]

Can anyone find me a picture of the GE-90 label on a CX77A?
i cant seem to find it online, but would like to see it once for myself.

[herrtob]

pretty sure you can find one at airliners mate. grab a high-res and zoom in!

[6cfn]

Thanks holdmetight. That makes sense.

What would be the recommended course of action when you don't know the answer to a question? Obviously faking is out of the question but would you try and estimate a solution by pulling referencing relevant information while admitting that you don't know the precise answer?

[dagger19]

herrtob

i seriously cant get hold of one picture of the GE-90 label, even from airliners.
is there anyone who can paste the link of a picture of the GE-90 label on the CX77A? is it on the engine or on the fuselage of the plane?

[holdmetight]

http://sha2.feeyo.com/pic0/20070820/200708201136526604.jpg

[herrtob]

why~~ HMT... i just pm-ed him with the same thing (more or less)

thanks HMT, and guys, it's just about picking up the GE/RR on it, no biggie

[BigglesNBella]

That's exactly what you do:

"I'm not sure but because I know [something] and [something] I would think that the answer is probably this..."

You're not expected to know everything. Some people in this thread are making it seem like if you don't know every engine model etc... by heart you will fail the interview. That simply isn't true. Yes, you should have a good idea about these sorts of things but far more important than memorizing facts is the ability to think through a problem and come up with a logical solution. If you can do that it will go a lot further with the interviewer than simply memorizing things.

[dagger19]

thanks very much.
getting kinda lost as days are getting nearer.

[crwjerk]

I'm still baffled why you guys are stressing over picking up the model and looking for engine stickers. It's simple, if the model is an -ER , it's GE...!!! If not, it's a RR....... :ugh:

[6cfn]

Thanks BandB. That was helpful!

I just had another question that was on this forum many pages back.
"What differences are there between Boeings and Arbuses, in terms of setting engine thrust?"

[crwjerk]

Airbus = Put the Thrust levers in the FLEX/MCT detent, or TOGA detent, and thrust will advance to the entered FLEX setting, or TOGA.

777 = Press TOGA switches, thrust levers advance to required Take off thrust setting.

Autothrust armed in both cases.

[pursuitofhappiness]

Hi! Greetings everyone!

I'm a very interested 21 y/o applicant of the program from the Philippines. I'm about to graduate with two university degrees in Computer Science and Management from the top private university of the country. However, as far as I tried to push myself studying and liking these particular fields, I long realized that my real calling is to become a pilot and I cannot be blinded by that fact anymore. Why? There's this ecstatic, inner feeling whenever I ride the airplane. I just love it. I love the feeling of flying, I love being at the airport, I like traveling, I like geography and maps, and everything about aviation. BUT, I don't have any flying experience yet.

So for those who have successfully made it to the Cadet Pilot Program without any flying experience, what are your advices so that I can have at least a fighting chance to be accepted in the program? What should I do now? Should I enroll myself for basic ground schooling about aviation before my interview? How should I answer their interview questions? How do you manage to show your desire/passion in becoming a pilot without having any flying experience? How can I prove to them that I really want this despite not having any flying experience?

I really, really want this opportunity. I hope you can help me.
Thank you so much! Happy Holidays everyone! :)

[orangeboy]

Hi,

First thing i'd recommend if you haven't done so, is to read this whole thread. Its long, but it has some very very useful info about the whole selection process.

Secondly, i would definitely recommend getting some flight training under your belt if feasible for you to do so - what better way to prove your enthusiasm and interest in aviation than actually being behind the controls of an aircraft!

Thirdly, i would start reading as much as you can about all things plane related - start off with basic principles, then progress from there. Another reason why flight training is important is that you should be studying theory along with your lessons (so the theory makes alot more sense). Start off with Basic Aeronational Knowledge type level material, then progress from there.

As for how you should show your enthusiasm, that can't be taught, it should naturally come out in the interview. If aviation really excites you, they will see it in the interview. They will see it in the way you answer your questions, facial expressions and tone of voice. But don't be fake.

Don't forget, there is more to the selection process than just the interviews, there are medicals, aptitude tests, personality tests and flight grading, so you need to make sure you do not neglect those aspects aswell.

Goodluck!:)

[dagger19]

6th Jan, HK stage 1.
anyone?

[midnightsky]

Cool, yours in on the 6th?
Mine would be on the 24th of January, but in Malaysia.
Mind filling us with the type of questions that you'll be getting?
Wishing you all the best!

[SW1]

All the types of questions asked are on this thread. Stage 1 isnt too hard to be honest. Just nail that WOMBAT test ( if youve got it) and study the JKI booklet. If anyone still needs to purchase the Ravens APM tests? You are free to contact me:ok:

[midnightsky]

Well, after reading chaz encounter with the fuel question, i'm having goose bumps all over again.
Anyway, the JKI booklet is the Aviation Knowledge booklet right?
That's the only booklet I got from them.
And the reasoning test is from the Raven's?
And what's a WOMBAT test?
Sorry, I'm still reading the thread from page 1 and i'm currently at page 30.

[orangeboy]

The wombat test is a computer based game you play where you are given a variety of tasks to do, and you will score points based on how well you can manage and prioritise tasks given to you. There is one main task which you must always monitor, then there are whats called bonus tasks, which you undertake to score more pointsl. Its quite fun actually!

If you are required to do the wombat test for stage 1, then they will send you an instructions booklet (not everyone will do it in stage 1, some will do it during stage 2, just depends on how they have structured your interview day, if in doubt always email them to confirm :ok:)

[midnightsky]

Owh, nice...
Thank for filling me in with the WOMBAT test thing..
The JKI booklet is for the WOMBAT is it?
I won't be sitting for the WOMBAT test for the 1st round but instead, here are my schedules

The process comprises of the following components:

- Interview with both Personal and Technical Questions (45mins)
- Technical multiple-choice Questionnaire (45mins)
- Reasoning Test (45mins)
- A Personality Assessment (30mins)

Wondering what kind of technical question will they asked.
I'm afraid that the technical question can be very wide-scoped.

[6cfn]

Midnightsky,

The wombat test is NOT the JKI test. The JKI test is the multiple choice technical test based MAINLY on the JKI booklet. Most (if not all, correct me if I'm wrong) applicants do the JKI test in stage 1.

As for the technical questions, I suggest you continue reading this thread. There are hundreds of examples of technical questions many kinda people have outlined from their experience. It will be a good general guide to the type of questions you may encounter during the interview and the degree of difficulty.

good luck on your interview.

[orangeboy]

Nope, the JKIbooklet is for the technical interview and Job Knowledge Test (multiple choice test based on materials in the book, there are a few questions that are outside the scope of the JKI booklet, such as company info). The wombat test is not related to the JKI booklet at all, it will come with its own instruction booklet if you are required to do it. :ok:

[midnightsky]

So, is "Technical multiple-choice Questionnaire (45mins)" can be considered as JKI? Because the only booklet I got is the Aviation Knowledge and that's it.

Please do correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you.

[midnightsky]

Awesome.. Crystal clear... Hahaha..
Anyone else is going for the Kuala Lumpur's interview this end of January??

[nmcpilot]

Anyone here have Stage 2/3 on January 18th in HK?

[lipoho]

Hi,I am new to this forum. Coz I am preparing the JKI test, can any one send one a copy of the JKI booklet?

Tank you so much.

[coobg002]

I'm 2nd stage on the 11th in HK, if anyone else will also be there PM me

[costia]

yea mate im in HK for stage 2/3 on the jan 18th/19th

[dagger19]

I've been benefiting from this thread so would like to share my stage 1 experience.

HR questions
1. Tell me about yourself
2. Where is the training taken place, city & airport?
3. What licence do you get after the cadet programe/FTA training
4. How many flying hours do you have when you get the licence/after FTA training
5. What are the planes used in FTA?
6. What will you do if you are not selected
7. Did you try Engineering Trainee in CX? Why not?
8. Would you switch your current job in the near future?
9. How much does it cost for a PPL and ATPL?
10. 5 destination in Europe
11. Planes used in CX
12. Engine used in A330 & B777-700ER
13. What are the new planes CX has place order on?

Technical
1. What is the cruising attitude of your flight to hk?
2. ISA settings
a. Name me one purpose in knowing the ISA temperature deviation
3. Basic T
4. Altimeter
a. What components does it consist of?
b. How does it work?
5. Explain the principles of artificial horizon
6. What country does the plane pass from HK to Toronto & HK to Singapore
7. Where is aileron on the plane?
8. 4 forces on plane
9. Why does the plane want to climb the highest attitude possible
10. What is Rhumb line & great circle
11. What is the plane on the table (B777-300 and B747-400)? Was insisted on stating the series.

A lot of questions are based on JKT. Hope this helps and all the best.

[MrCrawford]

Dagger, I am wondering what is your flying experience? Just trying to gauge how indepth they are going to ask depending on your experience.

[dagger19]

I have 0 flying hours.
were the questions too hard for a 0 flying hrs applicant?

[Blomqvist]

Hi dagger19 may I know where did you actually find out answer to
"How many flying hours do you have when you get the licence/after FTA training" ??
The FTA website itself did not specify the number of flying hours..
thanks for ur help!

[Stallone]

u may not know the exact hours, but u can always make an intelligent guess and let them know how u arrive at it

looking at the many fresh CPL holders in PPRuNe, my guess would be 200-250hrs..



BTW dagger, glad that they didn't ask you very tough questions like what others had. u have a good chance for stage 2/3

[carpet weaver]

Hello,

I am new to these forums. I am from USA and just applied to the cadet position. I have 249 hours, Private, Instrument and multi engine ratings. Just wondering what my chances of getting an interview are and how is it before you hear back from them.

Thanks

[carpet weaver]

Well I just applied and reviewed my application only to find that not all my flight time saved on the form. Im not sure what the problem is but just curious if anyone knows who I can contact to fix this problem. Thanks in advance.

[VFE]

Does anyone know if there's a London date planned yet? I applied in Sept.

Cheers,

VFE.

[dagger19]

Stallone,
i screwed up the wombat test. i donno, just keeping my fingers crossed. it was the 1st thing in my itinerary. morale was low after that.

Blomqvist
I answered 250 - 300 after FTA, 1000-1500 to unfreeze the ATPL. I am not so sure cos I initially said 250-300 to unfreeze ATPL haha. corrected that after 5 sec. lol

[Smell the Coffee]

It's blatantly obvious some people can't be bothered to read this thread prior to asking questions that have been answered many times before.

Guys and girls, if you are serious about this application then take the time to make yourself a coffee, sit down somewhere comfortable and READ THIS THREAD FROM THE START.

It doesn't take that long and many of the posts can be skipped over as they just ask stupid questions ...

Come on guys ... it's not hard.

[nmcpilot]

They will get back to you in exactly 12 days. You will have your interview on the 14th day then you'll be in the back of a 747 after about 17 days.

[carpet weaver]

well i guess ill ask it again cause no one responded

I just applied and reviewed my application only to find that not all my flight time saved on the form. Im not sure what the problem is but just curious if anyone knows who I can contact to fix this problem. Thanks in advance.

[superdunkaroos]

Skimmed through the last few pages

Cathay was going to conduct interviews in Vancouver in jan 2011, any info?

[futureTP]

nmcpilot don't you mean in front of a 747 lol... guys best thing to do is read the thread you will get the answers to all your questions!

Expect to wait at least 6 months before you hear back unless you are willing to travel to HK on your own account.

Anyone on here going to stage 2 in the next few weeks?

nmcpilot I found some similar maths stuff drop me your email and ill send it over.

[carpet weaver]

I emailed them at the cadet email cause of a mistake on my application and to move my preferred location to hong kong. anyone know how long it takes to get an email back from them? Its been 2 days, im debating sending another one.

[midnightsky]

It usually takes longer than 2 days.
Try to wait for a week. =)

[carpet weaver]

thanks midnightsky

Do you know if they are friendly. I filled in my flight time but when i went to review my application it didnt save for some reason so I emailed them and told them what happend and sent them my current flight time

[midnightsky]

Well, those mails are sent to a common mail and it depends whoever views your mail you see.
Yea, I can say they are friendly but the response that you might get will probably sounds generic to you.

[EGGD]

I'll be attending Stage 2 in Hong Kong January 18th/19th as well.

[midnightsky]

Guys, I was wondering, is the book "Ace the Technical Pilot Question" necessary for stage 1? I mean, I've been reading books after books just to get prepared. Just wondering, is it necessary?

[herrtob]

can't give you a definitive answer as you know they may throw anything at you.

however stage 1 tends to be quite simple. but that said, if you have time, why not just read it, you'll need it later anyway. beware of some bad answers from the book though (can't remember which but this view is echoed)

[midnightsky]

Yea, thought the same way too.
I don't want to underestimate those questions in round 1 but I want to be well prepared as well...
I saw that book in a bookshop today and gosh, it's quite expensive...
I might buy the book, not for the interview but to look around at those type of questions. =)

[dagger19]

midnightsky

it is gd to look through the book. i dont think you will be asked those specific questions tho if u have 0 flying hrs. but im sure it will help u to understand the concepts better. i went through the book, but i think i can only remember maybe 10% after reading? haha. its a gd book on top of JKT book. =)

[herrtob]

for zero hours applicants like myself i would recommend the 17chapters of FAA's "technical knowledge for pilots" in between JKI and ACE. it's available at FAA website. found it very comprehensive in establishing a baseline

[midnightsky]

dagger19:
LOL, I browsed through the book in the bookstore just now and I only managed to understand to front part of the book only. Hahaha... Bummer =.=

herrtob:
I've read that booklet too. Seems to be pretty straight forward.
Oops, wait, the one I've got is Pilot's Handbook for Aeronautical Knowledge.
I'm guessing that's the one right?
Did you do your Stage 1 already?
You did right??

[herrtob]

ooops, caught.... i didn't print out the front cover so i read everything else but the title
spot on...that's the title, Pilot's Handbook for Aeronautical Knowledge.... thanks for correction, phew~

yes i did stage 1 when it was still divided into 1a and 1b. stage 2 on 20th.

how's everyone progressing?

[carpet weaver]

how long does it take to get an email back from these people?

[DZPILOT87]

Hi guys,

Regarding the technical pilot books, I would like to know the best suitable for me to pass an interview (Part 1) with a company such as Qatar Airways.
I have checked online and found different type of books. Would appreciate your help guys .... Thanx

[herrtob]

firstly, we don't know you. we don't know your hours, your ratings, no nothing.

secondly this is cx cpp thread, and i personally don't know qatar, don't know if you're applying for cadet (if there's even one) or direct entry for whatever position.

so how do you suppose we are to answer your question?

but in general, read everything? ACE/FBJ/HBJ stuff like that

[DZPILOT87]

Mate,

Sorry, I'm new in this website.I'm 24 years old and live in Qatar and will soon obtain QCAA Frozen ATP CPL-IR MCC with 250 hours, this license is based on JAA and recognized by EASA/ICAO.

Qatar Airways have a 3 step interview which takes place in qatar and dubai every year. On their first step, a 50 to 100 question tech test is given on the first day along with the sychometric test and english proficiency test...

Thanks

[crwjerk]

You had 2 tries at spelling CATHAY in your first 2 sentences. The interviewers won't like that.........:E

[skycaesar]

Hi all, :O

Quick question : Do CX except CPL+IR+ME holders with more than TT250 hrs :rolleyes: ?

Thank you all

[40Deg STH]

Sky, yes!! And the good thing is, with these few hours, they wont be too hard on you in the sim check

[futureTP]

Hi Guys,

Just been working through some of the maths q's that have been posted on here before and wondering if you agree with my answers and/or if there is anything I haven't thought about... would appreciate your input just trying to get ready for stage 2!!!!

1) 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?-56.5 warmer then ISA by 16.5 degrees!

2) Ground temp was 29 degrees, cloud base was 2000’. What is temperature of a parcel of air @ 4000’ using DALR and SALR? 20 degrees!

3) If we are flying at 540kt at FL360 with 100nm to go before waypoint A, and we need to reach FL390 by waypoint A, and our climb rate is 1000fpm, when is the latest before waypoint A that we need to start our climb?27 NM before A

4) If we are at 3000’ and the QNH is 990, what is the pressure altitude? QNH is Less then ISA so add to airfield altitude = 3690ft

5) Given our answer in the previous question, do we immediately climb after receiving instructions from ATC or do we wait until 27nm before waypoint A before commencing climb? Why? Higher Flight Level = faster TAS, less fuel burn and anything else I can’t think off??

6) If our heading is 360 and there is a wind blowing from 090, can we expect to arrive at our next waypoint at the same time, or at a different time? Same time!

7) What is the load factor in a 45 degree AOB turn? 1.4g

8) How many G’s do you pull when you do a 60 degree steep turn? 2g

9) If we are flying at FL330 and we need to descend to FL260, with a GS of 480kts and descent rate of 500fpm, how long will our descent take? How far will we fly during the descent? 14 minutes and 112 NM

10) If the runway heading is 040 and you have a crosswind of 100/20, what is your crosswind component? Using the clock code (1 in 60) rule wind is 60 degrees off hence you take the full cross wind = 20 knots

11) 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? 114 NM

12) 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? 114/2 = 57 NM be careful!!

Happy landings...

FTP

[suntorytimo]

6) If our heading is 360 and there is a wind blowing from 090, can we expect to arrive at our next waypoint at the same time, or at a different time? Same time!

How do you figure that? The question is a little confusing. Is the heading of 360 corrected for the wind coming from 090? Or is it, we have a heading/track of 360 with no wind, and then there is the wind factor? If so then a crosswind will decrease groundspeed and increase leg time.

[nmcpilot]

Hey guys, just had a question for those who have done Stage 2/3, I have just arrived in Hong Kong and received my itinerary for the day along with a timetable and schedule for the days events and it has basically listed Group Ex, Interview, Mental Mathematics and Flight Planning Ex.

I am shocked as it doesn't include the Computer based aptitude test with joysticks and also the personality 186questions computer based questionnaire, neither piece of the letter I have has these written on them. Did those of you who have done it have these listed on the itinerary?? Or I wonder if they have stopped these tests..

[SW1]

How long does it say the Maths test last? It should only be half an hour.The 186PF and aptitude tests were all done in the same room on the same computers. So I was in there for about 2 hours in total. The day starts at 08:30 and ends at about 16:30. So not sure if its been omitted.

You never know, they may have gotten rid of the aptitude stuff as they can test your flying ability during flight grading.

I was listed on my schedule by the way...

[nmcpilot]

Hey SW1, basically the day goes as follows on the timetable :

0830 - 0845 - Welcome briefing
0845-0945 - group ex
1000-1100 interview
1115-1200 - mental mathematics
1445-1615 - flight planning

It also doesn't mention that I have the aptitude or personality test on the cover letter, just those tests. So don't know if these have been pulled, or if they only do the joystick tests now for the zero - low houred guys. But then I have known guys have to do both the wombat and joystick tests who are just as experienced as me so no idea. I wish they'd pulled the mental mathematics aswell, and group exercise.... and interview and just give me the job :8 lol

Only thing is it was mentioned on my email I received back in December and also there is a gap between 1200 and 1445 so obviously there is lunch but thought that would only be an hour so no idea :ugh:

[SW1]

I did the WOMBAT in London and the Aptitude test and 186 PF in HK. I dont think its only for low hours guys as im rated on the A320 and have known guys with 2000+ hours who have still had to do it. They may have scrapped it. But that seems like a very long lunch break, you may as well go for a nap in your room:ok:Only joking.

I hope Cathay are not going to spring it on you on the day. Either way, its not hard and the personality test is just being yourself and answering honestly. Good luck with it all.

[nmcpilot]

Yea I know 2 guys one an instructor and one a320 rated and both of them had to do it, I don't think they'd spring it on me but meh, thanks, ****ting myself :yuk:

[SmitHK]

Hey Guys

I sent my Application form through at the beginning of the month. I was just wondering if any of you know relatively how long it takes them to decide if you have an interview or not? Because Im checking my email constantly for a reply and its killing me haha:ugh:

Also if anyone knows when the next date for 2011 Hong Kong Interviews?!

Thanks
Chantal x

[burnable gomi]

futureTP:

Your answer for question 10 is incorrect.

[nmcpilot]

Yes it seems it has all changed now, no joystick aptitude tests and it seems the 186 question personality test has been removed but they have 2 different maths tests one "mental maths" and the other "aviation maths" no idea of the difference...

[suntorytimo]

Sounds like the schedule you guys have mentioned just now is typical of the stage 2 interview, did you not have the wombat test in the stage 1 interview?

[CXGE90]

SmitHK:

Some people have waited up to a year for an interview. Typically around 6 months tho.

[futureTP]

How did you come to that conclusion its a rough estimate not exactly precise but not far off either... so whats the right answer????

[adam692]

There are a few people who are asking about how long it takes to interview. FYI, I did stage 1 in YVR last week and the other guy I meet there had waited 1 year, I waited 17 Months for stage 1. Don't hold your breath, but if it happens for you work hard and be prepared. If you don't prepare, I think the interview would be a very unpleasant 45mins for you. READ THIS THREAD! I studied lots and still didn't feel ready. If anyone else from YVR interviews has heard let me know by PM :ok:

[burnable gomi]

futureTP:

Trigonometry. Crosswind component is the SIN of the angle off the runway multiplied by the wind strength. Headwind component is the COS of the angle off the runway multiplied by the wind strength.

In your example: SIN60 = 0.866 * 20kts = 17.3kts crosswind.

[herrtob]

hi guys, would anyone be able to update on the aviation math and mental math tests, as well as the Harrison?

on a side note, been preparing for so long but starting to feel uneasy about what they are going to ask in the interview for someone with no hours (me).

any inputs appreciated, and thank you guys for all the previous input.

good luck to fellow candidates for 18-21 jan!

[thinkinglongnhard]

Herrtob:

0 Hours... they will ask you why they should invest in you to become a pilot! Why you havent gone and tried flying before applying to CX... a lot of people turn up with no flying hours expecting questions to be flying specific, when in fact they (CX) want to know your reasons for deciding to apply to the cadet program without even conducting a TIF. Those are the questions that will help them decide if you REALLY want to be a pilot! Would you go out and pay for a license, if there was no cadet program?

[midnightsky]

Sorry but what's TIF?

[thinkinglongnhard]

Trial Instruction Flight... most flying schools offer them. You go up with an instructor for about an hour... you can even log it in your log book! Not a bad thing to do, even if just to prove that you are keen to be a pilot.

[flyhiigh]

Some ppl dont need to do the Wombat due to many many flight hours... true story ;)

[Michelle.C]

Hi. Is anyone going for Flight Grading between 31 Jan - 14 Feb? Pls pm me.

[8-Ball]

Ditto.

Thanks in advance!

[midnightsky]

Any good websites that has anything to do with courses that FTA offers, planes that they'll be using and all that stuffs? Just wondering.

[holdmetight]

Umm...

Flight Training Adelaide provides world-class aviation and pilot training for international airlines, corporate pilots and private learn-to-fly studen (http://www.flighttrainingadelaide.com) ?

[midnightsky]

HMT,

Thanks for the link =)
appreciate it...
how was your flight grading?

and does anyone know what the latest route for CX?

[cadetpilotwannabe]

Hi there,

It has been awhile seen my last time getting on this website. How's everyone going. I did my interview with CX in 2009, but I was not successful.

I am now planning to apply for the CX again, and I will spend approximately 1 year to prepare for my next interview. Can you guys give me some suggestion on it? I am thinking to take some aviation course to learn more about aviation, Navigation, and Meteorology. I, however, do not have much money for those course in HK yet. Is there any book I can read.

A little information about my background: I am holding a business degree, with no flying experience at this moment. I do not know much about jet, engine, etc, but I would like to learn more. So, please suggest some books to me if there is any.

Thank you guys, lets keep in touch here.

Nice to meet you all!


cadetpilotwannabe

[CKL]

i also got invitation to stage 2 interview on feb 28
anyone else?

[6cfn]

Has anyone from Vancouver interviews on Jan 10 heard good news?

[CXGE90]

Cadetpilotwannabe:

I would suggest you start by going through this entire thread - many people have posted valuable information about their interviews and it will give you a very good idea of what to expect.

You could probably start by getting a PPL text book. This will give you a good understanding of the basic aerodynamics, navigation and piston engines etc. There are tons of pilot shops online where you can find these. Bob Tait from Australia has a good PPL text book.

The FAA's "Pilots Encyclopedia of Aeronautical Knowledge" is also a good resource for beginners and I believe is available for free from the FAA website.

Closer to the interview time you will obviously have to read some more advanced stuff but that should keep you busy for now!

Goodluck!

[cadetpilotwannabe]

Thank you very much for your information, CXGE90!

I will start preparing my interview now. Hopefully everything will go well.
Btw, hows your interview going? Are you a CX cadet now?

[KeLC13]

cadetpilotwannabe:

How long did it take for CX to contact you after you applied for the programme?

I was actually invited by CX for an interview about 2 years ago. Unfortunately, due to family matter I was not able to attend. (I forgot how long it took them to contact me after my application).
Recently, I contacted CX via email and re-submitted my application about 4 weeks ago. I have gone through the forum and it seems the wait time could be months.
My cousin (who is flying with CX now as a SO) said it does take months... still there is this very anxious feeling.

We have a very similar background. Business degree with no flying experience but very into becoming a pilot. It's a childhood dream!

I'll be taking an Introductory Flight this coming weekend. I will also enrol into getting the PPL. I really want to prepare myself and hope for the best. I believe we must be pro-active and show our passion in flying!

Anyways, good luck to all of us!

[cadetpilotwannabe]

Dear KelC13,

I applied back in Dec 2009 and was invited to the interview a month after submitted the online application.

Are you currently in Hong Kong? Let me PM you my msn!

[orangeboy]

I didn't notice this posted before, but heres the 2011 schedule for interviews, i guess it will save alot of guess work as to when they will come to your location :)

Cathay Pacific - Careers : Careers Home (http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_INTL/careers/student/cadetpilot_schedules)

Cadet Pilot Initial Interview Schedule for 2011 - maybe subject to change without notice:


January - Hong Kong, Vancouver, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur
February - Hong Kong, London
March - Hong Kong, Melbourne, Singapore, Paris
April - Hong Kong, San Francisco
May - Hong Kong, Sydney, Vancouver
June - Hong Kong, London
July - Hong Kong, Brisbane
August - Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Melbourne
September - Hong Kong, London
October - Hong Kong, Vancouver
November - Hong Kong, Adelaide
December - Hong Kong, Auckland

[KeLC13]

Cadetpilotwannabe,

I currently reside in Toronto.
I hope I'll get a reply soon. It seems they are hiring a lot of cadets. If you check out FTA's website, the home page has a huge CX advertisement about the program. I hope we will hear some good news.
By the way, you were asking about what books to get for preparation. My cousin suggested a textbook called "From the Ground Up". It covers topics such as theory of flight, meteorology, navigation, instruments, etc. You may want to start from there. FAA has numerous publications as well.
I'll PM you my msn.

Orangeboy:

Thanks for the post. I guess they just posted it. I remember I was on the site a couple days ago and it wasn't there. An add to my comment above. CX is having interview every month. Perhaps it's true they are hiring a lot of cadets. Peparing for the new A350s and 747-8s ordered?:)

Anyways, I hope I'll get selected to go to Vancouver for interview.

Good luck!

[Stallone]

they're going Vancouver and London 3 times per year, gosh

Australia, though different cities, also for a few times..


no worries man...

[KeLC13]

Hey Stallone,

Thanks for the clarification.
I'll stay positive!

Anyone knows if they will contact you if you don't get it?

Thanks again!

[KeLC13]

Hi everyone,

Sorry it's me again...

Quick question about the vision requirements for the Cadet Programme or any commercial pilot jobs.
I have asked numerous people (flying and non-flying), and was told that as long as vision is correctable then I shall pass Class 1 medical (Vision part).
My concern is, is there a limit to how "bad" your eyes can be prior to correction?
I was told that people over -3.00 are usually considered legally blind.
I am in the -4.00 zone and have astigmatism of 1.50 and 1.75.

Thanks!

[orangeboy]

KeLC13, you're probably best talking with an aviation eye examiner to determine what the exact requirements are, maybe even your aviation authority that issues the Medicals - i think its good to get a good thorough medical before you commence flying anyway just to make sure everything is alright before chucking all that money in for training.

As for CX, unless somebody from the company can confirm the exact Medical requirements, then i don't think you will know until you apply or have your medical examination with them - maybe you could email the cadet people and ask if you can speak with someone from their medical department.

It seems CX generally does have a higher medical standard than just being able to get a Class 1 Medical.

[kbh]

Hi 6cfn,

I still haven't got any news since my Jan 14th Vancouver Stage 1, have you or anyone from that week got any news yet?

Thanks!

[herrtob]

there are many limits/requirements regarding your eyes, but it's not really related to your astigmatism or whatever, and you are to be tested on your reading ability on close, medium and far range, WITH AND WITHOUT correction.

as for the eyes i didn't see the company imposing a higher requirement (i've done both company and CAD) but don't take my word for it

for your worries about eye sight alone, go to CAD website, download a form called DCA153(OPH) (not the DCA153 for the whole class 1 initial), get an ophthalmologist appointment and go get tested with that form. it's going to cost 600-1000 hkd.

[MrCrawford]

[[[[[[[[[Quick question about the vision requirements for the Cadet Programme or any commercial pilot jobs.
I have asked numerous people (flying and non-flying), and was told that as long as vision is correctable then I shall pass Class 1 medical (Vision part).
My concern is, is there a limit to how "bad" your eyes can be prior to correction?
I was told that people over -3.00 are usually considered legally blind.
I am in the -4.00 zone and have astigmatism of 1.50 and 1.75.]]]]]]]]]]]

Not sure if Cathay has a higher standard than Dragonair in terms of medical checks. My experience is that over -3.00 you have to do an additional check which requires your eyes to be dilated to see if there is any damage. And astigmatism is not a problem. In fact... I have -3.75 for glasses and 1.5. Passed the eyesight exam in less than 5 mins total (without the wait time for dilation of eyes).

[747aus]

hey guys! is there anyone that has applied to the CX cadetship a little bit older? im 23 at the moment, but probably wont be appliying till im 25-26. would still be considered young enough starting in my mid 20's? id assume id have 35-40 years to repay CX for their investment in me.

[1stflightout]

Hi,

From what I have been reading here, it could take months to get a reply to your application. I noticed on the Recruitment Ad they have on Flight Training Adelaide, in the fine print on the bottom it says, "Candidates not notified within eight weeks may consider their application unsuccessful." Does this mean the reply time is now shorter if successful?

[6cfn]

Hi KBH.
I interviewed on the 10th and STILL no news yet despite them saying i'll know by jan 28TH. I'm a little worried. I'll let you know when i get word.

Does anyone know if they email AND call even if they
reject you?

[nmcpilot]

You'll get an email first if you pass or fail, then a call a couple of weeks later giving you a date for Stage 2.

[nmcpilot]

747aus, doubt that would be a problem, I'm 24 (25 in April) and that issue has never come up, depends on your experience I'd say tbh... But don't take my word for it.

The whole if it takes longer than 8 weeks to get back to you consider your application unsuccessful isn't the case, took them 6 months to get back to me when I first applied.

[747aus]

thanks for the reassurance. so you have been accepted into the programme? i do think that if i get in at 25-26 then ive still got nearly 40 years that i give an airline.

[herrtob]

there were 3 high profile candidates back late last year all over the news (probably also a PR exercise) they were doctors and other professionals earning twice the SO pay and in their 40s. so i suppose if you're quite brilliant and don't mind the relatively short career then they are fine with it.

[Cpt. Underpants]

FWIW, I've flown with both the (former) investment banker and the dentist.

Neither are impressed and both are supplementing income with investment properties and locum work.

The investment banker (married, 2 kids) told me he was $14000 in the red each month; the dentist (single) already has a home in the Northern New Territories so (approximately) breaks even, not even close on his S/O income alone.

Food for thought.

[747aus]

i do expect the whole expirience to be anything but easy trust me. if someone loves the job and loves to fly then they would put up with most things to fulfil their dreams. opposed to doing it the old fashioned way, being paid anything is a bonus.;)

[CXGE90]

Age limit isn't a problem, there are plenty of cadets over 30.

[yiu_ck]

Hey guys,
Just got invited to attend Stage 1 interviews in Melbourne. Did anyone else on here get invited as well?
Good luck to everyone and their interviews =D
Andy

[1stflightout]

I'm curious why there are no US locations for Stage 1 interviews in the schedule.

[stevop21]

I'm curious why there are no US locations for Stage 1 interviews in the schedule.San Francisco is in April

[thinkinglongnhard]

"being paid anything is a bonus"

Being paid is a necessity!

[1stflightout]

Oops...missed that..I'm surprised there are not more though.