DragonAir Cadet Pilot interview...

[CPtoCP]

I'm a newbie here and would like to hear anything from both successful and unsuccessful applicants who are willing to share their experience in KA CP interviews... btw, is it similar to the CX's one?

Thank you.

[velvet_ice]

dragon air is still a subsidary of cx?? i am going for the cx cadet pilot programme. from what i have heard is that they are quite similiar? good luck with it and if you find out anything about the interview process, pass on the info??

[Ju87]

I applied about a month ago and just received a confirmation letter and a medical questionaire. I did the first round screening at Cathay in Feb and I'm assuming it will be similar.

Does anyone know how many cadets Dragonair intends to recruit per year? Cathay says they look for about 40/yr.

Good luck all.

[smallwing]

Dragonair courses are a lot smaller, and will only have it once a year, compared to CX's 3 a year.

Your recruitment process with CX will be a lot faster due to the fact that they have a department just for recruitment, whereas KA is just done between personnel & fop.

Do not fret if you don't hear from KA for a while, as their process IS a lot slower.

So if you have applied for both companies, now is the time to make up your mind where you want to be.

[Guru]

KA has just started having two courses a year.

[smallwing]

your information is outdated... there will only be one course. starting this year will be a course of their own.

[Flying Bagel]

From what I gather, KA seems to screen their candidates a lot more rigourously than they do with CX. I suppose that has something to do with the fact that the cadets sit in the right seat right out of the conversion course, compared with a couple of years of cruise work in CX.

[mrben]

Anyone know if there's much difference in Salary between KA and CX?

[Captain White]

:{
Hey ! Velvet_ice !!! If you mention that KA has ANYTHING at all to do with CX, much less being a subsidiary and you can kiss any career there 'Bye Bye" !!!

KA has naught to do with CX so get all your information correct before going in and tripping over your tongue !!!

My mates there say it is pretty good so a worthwhile job ! :mad:

KA is an excellent career and cadets go from school into the Right seat of an A330 with 160 hours odd in total : most pilots would kill for that !! If you want to jump into a difficult but satisfying aviation career KA is a dream job for a young guy or gal ! :}

Find a KA pilot and grill them before an interview .....

best of British:ok:

[smallwing]

Actually 220 hours of flying and 60 hours of a generic 737 simulator.

The course will be hard I am sure, compared to the CX SO course.

Cheers

[mrben]

Does anyone know salary differences?

CX SO is HK$386,556 per year (I'm told)

anyone know what the equivalent is for KA?

[iMad]

Flying Bagel, can you give some examples of why you say the KA cadet selection process is more "vigorous" than CX?

I personally know at least 2 KA cadets who couldn't get into CX but got into the KA program at a later date. This perhaps suggests that the KA selection process at the very least has the same requirements as CX if not lower.

Captain White, I couldn't agree with you more when you said that a career at KA is something pilots around the world would die for, and given KA's competitive state with CX now, it would probably be in the best interest of the interviewee not to say that KA is a "subsidiary" of CX. But I would have stopped there, what you said:

"KA has naught to do with CX so get all your information correct before going in and tripping over your tongue !!! "

....is a bit over the top, the last time I checked, CX held a 19% stake in KA....

[Guru]

i wouldn't say ones standard in cadet recruitment is higher than the other. I'd suggest that the two companies differ in the type of characters the look for.

[jontyrhodes]

What's the difference then?

[smallwing]

Well Dragonair is a bit more vigorous with initial interview, due to the fact they start flying right seat right away.

Sometimes it seems to me CX does not like anyone to be too vigorous. Majority of KA's cadets were rejected by CX and they are all very pleased that that happened.

How many CX cadets can now say they would rather sit in the back serving drinks, compared to KA starting to fly?


As for the money issue, it disgusts me to see it keep on popping up from wannabes.

Only one tip I can give you guys out there is....do not be a fool and apply to both airlines at the same time. You only screw yourself in the long run, if you don't get successful right away.

[mrben]

Part of the CX Cadet Training is acting as cabin crew?

Why can't someone just say what the differences in salary are? It's an interesting question.

Should we really not be applying to CX and KA at the same time? It's just that if i'm rejected for one, then i'm back to square one and have to sit on my ass for another few months to get replies and interviews from the other airline. Doesn't it make more sense to apply to both at the same time. You will be saving alot of time, and remaining up-to-date and alert during both recruitment processes.

[hkwannabe101]

Agree with mrben on the timing of applications.

Agree with smallwing about the money. Wannabes should not be too concerned about that, particularly in HK, they do very well and only have to look at some of the starting salaries in Europe or the US to appreciate how lucky they are to earn that kind of $$ with so little expreience.

I'd fly for anyone regardless of money, as long as I could survive!

Why do you think it is a bad idea to apply for them at the same time smallwing? I would have though it would show even more motivation to get flying.

Just my 2c

[smallwing]

Motivation yes, but might need to consider the fact you might have to give one side up for interviews with the other, and then if you screw up that side, and want a chance with the other company, you might not have that chance again easily. That is just the way I see it.

I also like to see wannabes more firm on which airline to choose, not just for the love of flying. Hopefully people can expand on this point in this forum.

[iMad]

How many CX cadets can now say they would rather sit in the back serving drinks, compared to KA starting to fly?

Well honestly Smallwing, if it means at the end of the day you're working for a world-renowned top-class airline with a possibility (and choice on command upgrade) of flying a wider variety of the latest Airbus AND Boeing types to a much LARGER number of truly INTERNATIONAL destinations, then yes, I would rather wait a couple of years in the back accumulating experience, and I can say that for a lot of CX cadets, if not all. And if you're think you're so superior that getting the Captain or FO (who is imparting his/her valuable knowledge and experience to you) a drink during a 14-hour flight is so degrading, then I suggest you be your own Captain from day one and stick to your C150.

Do you really think that CX cadets have never thought about their careers BEFORE they made their choice? Do you think that they just end up in Parafield one day and go "oh my, I should have went to Dragonair so I can immediately start flying to China day-in day-out once I graduate......"?

Majority of KA's cadets were rejected by CX and they are all very pleased that that happened.

All?? You know that for a fact Smallwing? I'm just amazed at the fact that you're able to speak to all of them....

According to your profile Smallwing, you fly a C150 and you're "Lazy and fat" with an interest in "anything that doesn't require thinking"...I sure hope we won't be sharing the same skies when you fly!!

[mrben]

I have applied to both CX and KA. I really really hope I get into CX. I have nowhere near the same interest in joining KA. I have travelled to most Asian countries already and don't really want to fly in between them for the next 10 years of my life. I want to see more of Europe and America! Just my preference anyway.

I would also much rather spend a few more years 'at the back' gaining experience than being thrown in front of the controls. Maybe I just lack confidence at the moment, but I really admire how a Captain handles those huge responsibilities.

[smallwing]

iMad, by the way you sound, you must be those who serve drinks from the back. I am sure the Captain will thank you for going out of your way to kick his butt.

Seeing as you have an "A340" frozen ATPL, how are you enjoying your P2X hours?

You need not know how I know what I know.

I am sure "lazy and fat" will fit a lot of airline pilot description, just a matter of how you see them.

I assume if I put myself down as Brad Pitt, you will also believe me too...pretty daft I would think.

I speak from experience, anyone who decides to believe what I write has meat to it.

As for flying China, if it isn't worth flying, CX won't be trying to go there again.

Keep an open mind, don't talk through your arse. I will put out a NOTAM to where I will be flying, so you can stay clear of me. HAHAHAHAHA

[iMad]

iMad, by the way you sound, you must be those who serve drinks from the back.

Smallwing, by the way you sound, its a lot of sour grapes....


Seeing as you have an "A340" frozen ATPL, how are you enjoying your P2X hours?

Well in fact I enjoy them a whole lot more than P1 hours on a C150.:p

I assume if I put myself down as Brad Pitt, you will also believe me too...pretty daft I would think.

Well then how much of your posts should I believe then? Don't get me wrong smallwing, I do agree with some of your points, but its just that I know some of them are a bit strecthed and I am merely trying to verify your source of information. (Which you did not bother with....) I speak from experience too, I have just never bothered posting, that's all. Its funny how you say I talk through my arse, a lot of my CX SO friends read your posts and say the same thing about you.....irony at its best....

You seem to show a lot of disgust towards CX SOs, which indicates to me that you're probably not one. I am one and I know that the majority of us have thought about our careers and made the conscious choice of choosing CX over KA. Yes, re-flying into China is a major step for CX, but when it comes to choosing a career flying for an airline, are you telling me that given a choice, you would rather fly to China essentially everyday of your career instead of flying for CX to its more diverse destinations? Well if so, then that's your choice and I respect it, but I must say that nearly all the people I know would rather fly CX's network.

[smallwing]

I respect you for your choice, as you should mine, whatever that may be. No need for nasty comments as before.

You are right in stating I am not a CX SO, but I have done my time in CX to enjoy what a flying job actually means.

If a person really enjoy the routing than the flying, i recommend a job as a flight attendant. That way you get more time seeing all the things you might want to see at those ports.

Some of the points I have spoken about were told to me by members of your flying staff, more to say pilots of different rank in CX.

Why SO's in CX, because it is cheaper to have that than 2 Capt and 2 FO.

By the way, notice the title of this topic, I don't think it refers to CX. But do keep up with your points, so that people will know what actually goes on with you CX pilots' life.

Extra word, I have heard a very ridiculous issue from one of my excadet friends in CX. We are all here not to pick on the bad things but show future aviators what they are looking at when choosing the right company or career.

If you believe that I am still talking out of my arse, well than so be it.

PS, I have zero time in the 150.

PPS, I am not disgusted at CX SO's, I have many friend that are in CX as SO's... but you would know better than I as to what you really do for preflight.

[Guru]

What's 3 (4, god forbid) years in a career of 30?
And being an SO at CX does have its rewards unlike what the discussion has so far implied.

smallwing,

i suppose you were referring to the seemingly petty and trivial things we SOs do in preflight like setting up the ACARS, the safety checks and making the bunk.

let's say dragon flies to london and there are two captains and two FOs in the flightdeck. who then do you think would end up making the bunk? probably the most junior member of the four. so am i supposed to feel bad and a knock on my ego that as the most junior and least experienced i have to make the bunk each time?

there had been several occasions where when i was setting up the FMC during preflight, as a lowly SO, that the relief went and did the bunk and said nothing about that.

[iMad]

No need for nasty comments as before

With all due respect smallwing, whatever sounded nasty in my post were based on what you had in your own profile, but how stupid of me to believe what you say I guess.:rolleyes: And don't forget who accused who of "talking from your arse" first....

but I have done my time in CX to enjoy what a flying job actually means

By saying that can I assume that you have found your dream flying job?

And by the way, everyone will have their own interpretation on what a "flying job" means. Some would argue the only proper flying job is flying fighter jets at Mach 2 dodging missiles in a war zone, some people spend their life flying crop-dusters 5 feet agl on 40-degree days in the outback because they think its the only way to go. Some might say that flying choppers out to stormy seas rescuing stranded sailors as the real deal. Then there are those who would not settle for anything less than flying the latest-modern-glass-cockpit-full-bells-and-whistles jetliners sipping "white tea two sugar" eating the finest food in the skies (well as good as it gets I guess) travelling to far corners of the world as the real "flying job". So what's your interpretation then?

If a person really enjoy the routing than the flying, i recommend a job as a flight attendant. That way you get more time seeing all the things you might want to see at those ports.

Well I'm sure most of us enjoy the occasional "routing":ok:, but I feel you're losing the point a bit here smallwing. The point is not "should I become a pilot for KA just so that I can fly airplanes or should I become a flight attendant for CX so I can travel the world?" The discussion (which deviated from the original topic I must apologize) was: given a choice of both CX and KA, who would you fly for? At the end of the day, you're going to be a pilot flying modern equipment anyway, but with CX, you're exposed to a wider variety of world-wide destinations (not to mention more aircraft types), can you honestly tell me that you would rather fly to mostly second to third tier chinese cities for the rest of your 30-year career just so that you can start in the right-hand seat 2 years earlier?

We are all here not to pick on the bad things but show future aviators what they are looking at when choosing the right company or career.

True, but it appears to me that you're painting a pretty heroic picture for KA cadets while dimly portraying CX SOs as someone to "serve drinks from the back". Now that surely is not healthy advice for our future aviators now is it?

[mrben]

Is it at all possible to start working for CX after you have done your KA cadetship + a few years, and vice versa?

Or does each airline tie you down for life after you've finished your cadetship with them?

[CPtoCP]

six years mate...

u gotta sign a six years contract, that's all..

[Flying Bagel]

It's an intriguing proposition, KA vs. CX for your ab-initio pilots. On one hand, you get to fly to many far flung exotic destinations on a/c you always dreamed of flying since childhood. Yet the tradeoff is a slower career progression, and a long wait sitting (yes, getting the ACARS and answering impossible questions from the captain) in the back, getting pampered by the FA's (what a hard life). But damn, flying into Paris is fun, isn't it.

On the other hand, you get to fly right seat, take offs and landings, into airspace where even a universal translator may self destruct. However, it is often said that, for the ab-initio flying purist, KA is the absolute dream job. Not often can you tell your mates back home that, at 400 hours, you're doing landings in a A330 into Shanghai.

And depends on your point of view, but many people enjoy KA as a company, and the destinations are part of the job. In the end, there are as many people who complain about long haul ruining health and marriages as there are people who can't stand dodging manned Chinese cruise missles and boring outports. Many people apply to CX just because they're well known, an international airline with prestige and status, and KA is often overlooked in that respect. Therefore, I do feel a bit of sympathy for what smallwing says.

In any case, applying for both isn't a big deal, it has been done before, but I only know of one person ever to have succeeded in getting acceptance into both programs.

It'll be interesting to see if this TV series they have out now will really bring in the crowds to the 'pearly gates'...

[Guru]

pampered by the FAs? i must be doing something wrong!