Conditions for cadets
Join Date: Dec 2019
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Haha that’s a good one! Most of the information being given here is very much more accurate than what you’d get from someone in the company whose position requires them to drink and spread the cool aid.
The people defending CX on here must either be in management or they are former A or B scalers who are minted and don’t really need the money anymore. That’s a fact!
The people defending CX on here must either be in management or they are former A or B scalers who are minted and don’t really need the money anymore. That’s a fact!
Join Date: May 2010
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The thread is titled Conditions for cadets, what about the conditions for FO's, Captains, Base training Captains, fleet office managers? The conditions for the entire airline is now so bad + you get the added bonus of endless punitive and disiplanary policies which are literally amended and added every other day.
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Good luck
You’ll be making about $32,000 HKD per month for the first three years and be bonded for six.
How you’re supposed to live on that in HKG unless you live at home with your parents or have a second income is beyond me.
For full disclosure, I myself was a cadet over 10 years ago but got paid nearly double that amount when I started and that was hard enough. Take into account inflation since then and do the maths.
You’ll be the lowest paid aircrew in the world.
How you’re supposed to live on that in HKG unless you live at home with your parents or have a second income is beyond me.
For full disclosure, I myself was a cadet over 10 years ago but got paid nearly double that amount when I started and that was hard enough. Take into account inflation since then and do the maths.
You’ll be the lowest paid aircrew in the world.
Join Date: Feb 2023
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Hi everyone,
I would be more than grateful if you could shed some lights on the realistic career prospect for newly joined cadets.
I understand that there is a long queue ahead as many SOs did not get their flights before the borders reopened...and that the company currently lacks trainers to get the new guys operational as so many experienced and skilled pilots have left...
Following the 'normalcy' and resumption of air travels will the upgrade time for newly recruited SOs be shortened? Or...I should ask how long will it take for someone that is hired this year to finish all necessary training to be an operational SO, and to be considered FO upgrade?
Many thanks and best wishes to everyone here
I would be more than grateful if you could shed some lights on the realistic career prospect for newly joined cadets.
I understand that there is a long queue ahead as many SOs did not get their flights before the borders reopened...and that the company currently lacks trainers to get the new guys operational as so many experienced and skilled pilots have left...
Following the 'normalcy' and resumption of air travels will the upgrade time for newly recruited SOs be shortened? Or...I should ask how long will it take for someone that is hired this year to finish all necessary training to be an operational SO, and to be considered FO upgrade?
Many thanks and best wishes to everyone here
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Hong Kong
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Hi everyone,
I would be more than grateful if you could shed some lights on the realistic career prospect for newly joined cadets.
I understand that there is a long queue ahead as many SOs did not get their flights before the borders reopened...and that the company currently lacks trainers to get the new guys operational as so many experienced and skilled pilots have left...
Following the 'normalcy' and resumption of air travels will the upgrade time for newly recruited SOs be shortened? Or...I should ask how long will it take for someone that is hired this year to finish all necessary training to be an operational SO, and to be considered FO upgrade?
Many thanks and best wishes to everyone here
I would be more than grateful if you could shed some lights on the realistic career prospect for newly joined cadets.
I understand that there is a long queue ahead as many SOs did not get their flights before the borders reopened...and that the company currently lacks trainers to get the new guys operational as so many experienced and skilled pilots have left...
Following the 'normalcy' and resumption of air travels will the upgrade time for newly recruited SOs be shortened? Or...I should ask how long will it take for someone that is hired this year to finish all necessary training to be an operational SO, and to be considered FO upgrade?
Many thanks and best wishes to everyone here
How it will change is anyone's guess, but it's trending to increase; training capacity is reducing with people leaving (especially trainers) with years to return to "normal" planned, but much more importantly the company has much higher incentive to keep people in Second Officer rank. The company is restructuring to fly 2x SO on long haul from 1x SO, so logically they need double the SOs and half the FOs. The evidence is that the 5 year maximum SO requiment is now gone. Plus SOs get paid less, and it's always cheaper and faster to train a direct hire a FO who skips the que.
Last edited by dingodyle; 15th Feb 2023 at 07:46.
Join Date: Jun 2022
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It's 7 years currently. That's 7 years from completed training and checked to line.
How it will change is anyone's guess, but it's trending to increase; training capacity is reducing with people leaving (especially trainers) with years to return to "normal" planned, but much more importantly the company has much higher incentive to keep people in Second Officer rank. The company is restructuring to fly 2x SO on long haul from 1x SO, so logically they need double the SOs and half the FOs. The evidence is that the 5 year maximum SO requiment is now gone. Plus SOs get paid less, and it's always cheaper and faster to train a direct hire a FO who skips the que.
How it will change is anyone's guess, but it's trending to increase; training capacity is reducing with people leaving (especially trainers) with years to return to "normal" planned, but much more importantly the company has much higher incentive to keep people in Second Officer rank. The company is restructuring to fly 2x SO on long haul from 1x SO, so logically they need double the SOs and half the FOs. The evidence is that the 5 year maximum SO requiment is now gone. Plus SOs get paid less, and it's always cheaper and faster to train a direct hire a FO who skips the que.
The realistic career prospect for a new cadet is, unfortunately, not to expect any upgrade once online as an SO.
Join Date: Apr 2018
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Yep it's the old flow through dilemma. For each SO upgraded is another that needs to be replaced. Direct hire FO completely solves this problem. If half the cockpit on a long haul are going to be SO now, they need more people in this rank and those people need to serve a very long time; the upgrade carrot will be their only motivation to wait it out.
Cadets with 0 hours have nowhere to go, as nobody (even Cathay) accepts the hours. 2x SO will make 7+ the norm, probably much longer even.
When SO was a transitional position of 2yrs and there was no Direct FO hiring, it made lots of sense. Now it's more of a career position in itself.
I guess if your goal is to be a career Cx pilot then it doesn't matter how long your an SO (minus the pay)
Cadets with 0 hours have nowhere to go, as nobody (even Cathay) accepts the hours. 2x SO will make 7+ the norm, probably much longer even.
When SO was a transitional position of 2yrs and there was no Direct FO hiring, it made lots of sense. Now it's more of a career position in itself.
I guess if your goal is to be a career Cx pilot then it doesn't matter how long your an SO (minus the pay)
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100+ 7years SOs not upgrading anytime soon.
Cadets graduated 2 years ago’ haven’t started yet, won’t start anytime soon.
This is not my take, it is the company saying which menas it is probably worse.
Why would you join as a DEFO with no career prospect ? Unless you are desperate or need a new TR or really young and very single whishing to see Asia for a few years is beyond me.
Cadets graduated 2 years ago’ haven’t started yet, won’t start anytime soon.
This is not my take, it is the company saying which menas it is probably worse.
Why would you join as a DEFO with no career prospect ? Unless you are desperate or need a new TR or really young and very single whishing to see Asia for a few years is beyond me.
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Why would there be no career prospect for DEFOs?
Upgrades can now take place out of seniority, so you can definitely jump ahead of all those pesky SOs ahead of you on the "seniority list"
Upgrades can now take place out of seniority, so you can definitely jump ahead of all those pesky SOs ahead of you on the "seniority list"
Join Date: Mar 2015
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There are now Direct Entry Captains.
A 777 Capt who decided not to sign up for RA65 (a one time offer, never to be repeated), retired. He became a sim instructor. Now he is to rejoin as a 777 Capt, to be fast tracked back into training. He knows the GMA from their time at Ansett together....
So, he takes a command, thus shafting a SFO out of a Cmmnd, shafting a SO out of promotion to FO and shafting a GA pilot out of the dubious honour of joining CX, shafting a licence holder out of their first flying job....
A 777 Capt who decided not to sign up for RA65 (a one time offer, never to be repeated), retired. He became a sim instructor. Now he is to rejoin as a 777 Capt, to be fast tracked back into training. He knows the GMA from their time at Ansett together....
So, he takes a command, thus shafting a SFO out of a Cmmnd, shafting a SO out of promotion to FO and shafting a GA pilot out of the dubious honour of joining CX, shafting a licence holder out of their first flying job....
Join Date: Apr 2009
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There are now Direct Entry Captains.
A 777 Capt who decided not to sign up for RA65 (a one time offer, never to be repeated), retired. He became a sim instructor. Now he is to rejoin as a 777 Capt, to be fast tracked back into training. He knows the GMA from their time at Ansett together....
So, he takes a command, thus shafting a SFO out of a Cmmnd, shafting a SO out of promotion to FO and shafting a GA pilot out of the dubious honour of joining CX, shafting a licence holder out of their first flying job....
A 777 Capt who decided not to sign up for RA65 (a one time offer, never to be repeated), retired. He became a sim instructor. Now he is to rejoin as a 777 Capt, to be fast tracked back into training. He knows the GMA from their time at Ansett together....
So, he takes a command, thus shafting a SFO out of a Cmmnd, shafting a SO out of promotion to FO and shafting a GA pilot out of the dubious honour of joining CX, shafting a licence holder out of their first flying job....
Join Date: Oct 2005
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There are now Direct Entry Captains.
A 777 Capt who decided not to sign up for RA65 (a one time offer, never to be repeated), retired. He became a sim instructor. Now he is to rejoin as a 777 Capt, to be fast tracked back into training. He knows the GMA from their time at Ansett together....
So, he takes a command, thus shafting a SFO out of a Cmmnd, shafting a SO out of promotion to FO and shafting a GA pilot out of the dubious honour of joining CX, shafting a licence holder out of their first flying job....
A 777 Capt who decided not to sign up for RA65 (a one time offer, never to be repeated), retired. He became a sim instructor. Now he is to rejoin as a 777 Capt, to be fast tracked back into training. He knows the GMA from their time at Ansett together....
So, he takes a command, thus shafting a SFO out of a Cmmnd, shafting a SO out of promotion to FO and shafting a GA pilot out of the dubious honour of joining CX, shafting a licence holder out of their first flying job....
The antipodean phrase, “I’m alright Jack” 👍 springs to mind.
