SIA interview Info

[DeeDoubleU]

Anyone got any info about selection process with SIA. Got an interview coming up (P1) and forwarned is forarmed etc. Listening out

[SE7EN]

For a large company, the interview style is actually quite informal.Technical questions are unlikely. Having said that, my interview was five years ago so this could have changed. They are more likely to make sure that your eyes are open to the less positive aspects of life in Singapore. These include the price of cars, property etc.
If all goes well, sim ride will follow. Usually a B777. Nothing to prepare as they are looking at basic handling and CRM skills. You are not expected to know about the aircraft systems but it obviously helps if you have Boeing experience.
Tyr not to take too much notice of the negative remarks within these forums. SIA is not a bad company to work for and like most things, what you get out of it depends on what you are prepared to put in.
Hope this helps and best of luck.

[freightdriver]

Congrats and good luck on your interview with SIA!

Would you be able to share on what the bare min they would look for an FO new hire? I just got my big break after a 4 years absent from aviation I upgraded from a Turboprop FO to a B737-200 FO. SIA is on my list of desireable company to work for....

Thanks and see you around ANITO or PARDI if you ever fly Southbound.....

:)

[MEGAMAN]

freightdriver forget it man SQ never hire an F/O, they take Capt.only and F/O they recruit from locals like Malaysian:(

[dunerider]

DDU
Could you give me an idea of the time period from application to
interview. Also would be interested to know if you are applying for a Singapore or overseas basing. I am a 777 Captain and I
have been advised that SQ are not taking pilots at the moment.
Best of luck with your interview.

[0.88M]

If you do not expect "fair" salary

If you do not expect "fair" Rostering

If you do not expect Christmas OFF / Leave

If you do not expect Bonus / S.I annually

etc::

then maybe SQ is a good airline..

[blur_ahbeng]

DeeDouble U, I heard that the last (3rd) interview is some sort of tea party. Good Luck with interview. I'm interested in heading back down there to work for SIA when I'm finished school in a few years

[BlueEagle]

The 'Tea Party' is for cadet entrants only, I think you will find.

For direct entry commanders a short chat, sim ride and, if they are likely to offer you a job then a medical the next day, you will need not less thanS$600! SIA don't pay for it but they don't usually ask people to do the medical if they don't intend to make them an offer.

Time between interview and offer will vary according to their needs and it is unlikely they will write and tell you!

Best of luck, for the last 30+ years hundreds of expats. have gone to SIA, done their time and left/retired, if you don't make waves no one will bother you.

[blaireau]

I fly B777 and joined last May.
The interview was very straightforward with 2 management pilots and no tricky questions.
Log books and app form were checked by ground staff and then a 40 min assessment in the B777 sim.
Following day was a medical carried out at various clinics around the city.
Results were 2 weeks later.
The actual life here is good. Salary is poor, but with flying/meal allowances, the take home is reasonable. On top of this is housing allowance plus education etc. Once you escape the training system, the job is remarkably pleasant.
B777 now flies A340 and A310 routes in addition to new routes, making for an extensive varied roster. The only place we don't go is S America. Yet.
I have no complaints.....

[fullforward]

Blaireau,

Congrats!

How much is that bond exactly?
Are they still recruiting? Were you 777 rated by the time you joined?

[blaireau]

At present there are about 40 777's with at least another 37 to come. Rate of about one every 5 weeks.
I was not rated having spent the last few years on A330/320.
The bond is S$46000.
The contracted time is 5y 5m.
Recruitment is on-going.

[BlueEagle]

Balireau - Could I just check that figure of S$46,000 for the bond with you, is that per year?

The reason I ask is that twelve years ago the overall bond for the 744 was S$150,000 reducing by $30K per year, so $46K seems a bit low for SIA!!!;)

[blaireau]

S$46K is correct. It is placed in a recognised bank acceptable to SIA and a bank letter of guarantee is handed to SIA. You make some interest on the account, but not much these days.
It is a one off and reduces per rata as you complete your contracted period.
It compares very favorably with one company I was with who wanted US$30K for the A320!

[BlueEagle]

Ok blaireau, think I see the difference, on the B744 we had to supply what was then called a Bank Guarantee of $60K in an acceptable bank AND sign a bond for $150,000 reducing over five years. If a bond was broken the guarantee was immediately forfeited and any balance would be paid by the individual.

[millerscourt]

Re the Bond of 46000 .My advice to anyone is don't bring the money to Singapore as you only get .625% interest on it. and you might suffer a currency loss after the bond is up,which is exactly 5 years from your line check. If you can arrange for bank to guarantee it on your house if you have one then you don't have to stump up the cash,but the bank must have a branch in Singapore for this to work. Either way you will get charged for this service. If coming from UK go to DBS Bank in London if you deposit cash and leave it offshore you get better interest rate,but if in Pounds you will have to add an extra amount to allow for any currency flucuation.

[stable approach]

blaireau,
If you go back and check your paperwork, I think you'll find that the $46,000 is your bank guarantee, and that the bond is actually $114,000 ( reducing over five years ). I have my bond in front of me as I type.
Cheers.

[BlueEagle]

Just to remove any confusion in the minds of would-be joiners to SIA can you confirm that you were required to provide , on the one hand, a bank guarantee of S$46K and also had to sign a training bond, (reducing over five+ years), of S$114,000 please?

For some people finding the initial S$46K can/could be a problem so it is better that they fully understand what the procedure is. Thanks, BE.:D

[CDRW]

Disregard what that sour puss 0.88 has to say.
Interview is - as said - strait forward - but do put some work into it - know a little about the island, SIA, its routes - enough to show that you have down some homework. The sim ride is - in my opinion - most important - show CRM and think out loud as this does give the chap next to you some insight as to how your thought process is going. It is fairly strait forward with the F/D's on and the TAC doing it thing - so the flying bit is quite easy. The last landing will probably be on 1 eng, with an APU fire into an evac.

Good luck - have been here a year and really enjoy it - once you have jumped thru the hoops you are left alone - have had no problems with the F/O's. BUT setting up is frightenly expensive - be warned.

Oh, and one more thing - do NOT piss of Jokhilla - that is the kiss of death.

[downfourgreen]

Blaireau and CDRW tell me, what widebody LH seat experience did you have (i.e. hours, equipment, etc.) prior to sending your CV's to SIA?
Regards...

[CDRW]

Downfourgreen - had about 6500+ LH on 767's - but don't use this as a yardstick. Many guys from the that island to the south have joined - who had 1500 or there abouts- on A320's. There is no hard and fast policy unfortunately.

[blaireau]

The $46K is my deposit, and correct, there is a sliding scale bond. SIA pursue bond- breakers with tenacious zeal all over the globe, by the way.
I had 500 hrs A330 before coming, but 9000 command total. Many people come with no heavy time, but since this airline only has heavies, they don't make the big drama associated with others with mixed fleets.
Just back from 3 days in San Fran. Very pleasant!

[wilco77]

Agree with CDRW. Disregard 0.88.
He is probably one of the guys you had in your old company as well. You get them where ever you go. Never happy with life ALWAYS COMPLAINING .
Those are the guys that need to quit and give you an opportunity to join.

[daifei]

Blaireau, I've sent you a private message, have you reveived it?

[downfourgreen]

Reading the SIA web page I noticed that they haven’t been recruiting DE captains lately. Well, it's written...at least. However, some lines below, there’s an ‘invitation’ for drivers to fly 777 at SIA (Mauritius).
So let’s get down to business, does anybody know if they’re still looking for pilots and why even during these hard days, with several pilots asking for a job everywhere, it’s been so difficult to find a bunch of captains to fly those airplanes?
What's the deal?:suspect:
Private messages will be welcome.

[thegypsy]

blaireau 3 days in San Fran??? Since when?? 48 hours is the norm and have you had to position all the way from Singapore to San Fran yet in Economy cos there are only 30 seats in Business?? Tell it how it is warts and all. All new joiners no longer get the PF so what your monthly salary is less tax about15 months in arrears is all you get.

[blaireau]

Just back from 3 days in Athens. Sorry not to report bad aspects of SIA, but I find it good generally and this despite advancing years!
Yes it was 3 days in SFO.

[thegypsy]

Blaireau re SFO 3 days I guess you count the day you arrive midday as No 1? then the full day in SFO {on standby??} as No 2 and the day you depart midday as No 3?? That is not my idea of 3 days in SFO.

How are you enjoying all that positioning to SFO.YVR,CPH.FCO,ATH. AMS?? How many times have you had to sit in Economy surrounded by the great unwashed?? and in the worst seat SIA could give you??!!

I am not saying SIA is the worst job in the world in fact far from it,but the way they position Captains half way around the world cos some sectors only require 1 Captain to save a few bucks,really bugs me. I guess the sooner they go for 'cruise F/O's and then only have one Captain on board then that won't happen anymore??

[BlueEagle]

I once had three days in SFO, full days, it was a freighter COP.

Fortunate enough to retire before the mass positioning started but I gather it is largely due to the number of pilots not actually in Singapore anymore but based overseas? Also fortunate enough, over a period of ten years to only position in Business twice, (SIN-TYO), every other time was in First.

[blaireau]

Have not yet been subjected to Y Class. The only positioning I have experienced is to Oz as the PER or BNE Capts complete their rotations, and that was C Class in 2 Class a/c. Still, as a newcomer, I expect I may encounter some frustrations.
So far so good.

[Jim Morehead]

I was reading the various posts and can't figure a lot of this out.

One guy says he started in May on the 777 and is happy there. They seem to be getting lots of airplanes like once per week. I obviously can't verify that. Another says he has an interview scheduled.

My source who knows the players and works there says There is no hiring. So what gives?

How can you fly an airline without pilots? Is there some other airplane grounded or some extra pilots previously hired?

JIM

[sq111]

Blue eagle

You mean SQ based pilots out of Singapore? Where are the bases? Are these pilots expats or do they base local F.Os overseas as well?

[thegypsy]

sq111 Local F/O's are Singapore based only.Anyone trying to escape the clutches of those on the 4th Floor will be severely dealt with!!:p

Captains bases 747 London, Los Angeles and Sydney

777 Perth,Brisbane

Blue Eagle Yes on B777 additional positioning due Oz based Captains but in the main the long haul positioning is due to some sectors requiring just one Captain whilst the return one due longer sector length due to winds requiring two Captains so SIA position the other Captain ,whilst on the flight deck there is one Captain and two F/O,s. Captain has to stay in his seat all the way and the two F/O,s share the rest,meanwhile the positioning Captain is living it up hopefully in First Class {B777 on most long haul sectors now only have Business[30seats} and Economy so a good chance you have to sit in Economy all the way from Sin to say San Fran or Vancouver,Copenhagen,Rome ,Amsterdam etc etc .

From a safety point of view SIA could put two Captains on the flight and position the F/O so that all three pilots could have some rest away from their seats,but as Captain,s allowances are a few $$$$$ more than F/O,s safety and common sense go out of the window cos in SIA money comes before everything.

PS On the SQ6 accident from Taipei to Lax there was just one Captain and two F/O,s Had there been two Captains a good chance this accident would not have happened!!

[Bokomoko]

Good remarks down4green and Jim...
In short, does anybody know if they've been looking for pilot lately or for future opportunities?
Any chance for wide-body captains, but without any SIA fleet type-rating?
rgds

[CDRW]

thegypsy says............. "but as Captain,s allowances are a few $$$$$ more than F/O,s safety and common sense go out of the window cos in SIA money comes before everything."

Well, Capts allowances are just a shade under double an F/O's - so just maybe it is economic sense.

Safety and common sense go out the window?? Not so sure about that - my last operator we could depart at night east bound, flog for a flying time of 10hrs + with a capt and f/o only. Do a 12 hr rest and come back again. Was that dangerous? Sure, you may have come from a previous airline where the policy was "gosh - it's an 8 hour flight - two captains required for this one old chap" then SQ will appear positively dangerous in their FTL's. Trouble is that most of those pampered airlines have gone tits up.

On a personal note, have been here just shy of two years and have paxed in all 3 classes - the Y sector was Sin-Icn - about 6 hrs and was more than comfortable, but can quite imagine that some of our more pampered boys feel it is their god given right to be seated in at least business or first and not sit with " the unwashed". "Heavens - sit in economy - brrr makes me shiver all over. ( only when I am paying for the ticket - tho)!!"

Bottom line - go and do the work and stop moaning - there are far far worse places. Look forward to the 13 cheque, the regular increment, the profit sharing and if occasionally you have to position just bloody do it.

[sq111]

Well, with so many FOs being churned out every year in SIA, they'll have a significant number of captains in 10 years. SIA takes in about 15 cadets every 1 1/2 months, quite a significant number in these trying times for aviation industry. So you'll probably have more than one captain in your flight even for short hours... Unless the F.O.s decides to escape the clutches of the 4th floor after completing their 7 year bond, but with flying skills not very relevant for other undustries, I guess these guys will most probably stay on with SIA