the "alternative" to being an iCadet
 

To all our 200hrs iCadets (and my emphasis is on "international")...

If you don't like

- the HKPA
- carrying the blue bag
- helping to set up the ACARS
- taking 1st rest on a 3 man crew
- doing the radios over India
- not getting your crew meal
- putting away the charts
- cleaning up the cockpit after the flight

AND

- the fact that you will be a wide body FO before hitting the age of 26

you can always join these guys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqkjRxzztJQ

RESPECT to these humble English lads who didn't sell their souls to Ryanair, Easyjet, any other P2F scam or even CX. We should be hiring these guys after a few years...real experience and real flying produces real pilots.

Oh dear. Here we go again. Zzzzzzzzz

Btw I completely agree with you and a lot of guys here will too.

While being on the subject of being 'real', repost that on the AOA forum. Let's see your real name. Come on don't be shy. Stand up for what you believe in.

Frankly, captain tiresome; like it or not, those guys are the ones who make up the majority of the membership (or they will very shortly).

They are unified beyond anything that we have ever managed, and have a hell of a lot less to lose, and they know it. I suggest playing nice, as my friends in said circle will tell anyone who's not a complete ******, it's comments like yours which sway opinions, and whether or not 'unity' is something they wish to pursue.

You and I both know that they hold the cards. If the ranks are divided, it'll be at our expense.

I'd say too that those people flying in that sort of airline have type cast themselves. It'd be very hard to get a job in the UK after that, nobody is interested in single turbo prop time, unfortunate and harsh as it sounds.

You also fail to realise that it is incredibly hard to get this sort of job with only minimum hours. They hire only a handful of people a year and there are only a handful of operators who give low timers a chance in the world. You can't just decide to do it this way and then go do it, there are 10s of thousands of pilots who never got a job and you are giving people a hard time for accepting 10 times what these susi air guys earn and in a jet?

I expect EVERY SINGLE CX pilot who gets expat benefits would have taken the cadet deal if they were trying for their first flying job when their license ink was still wet. Maybe guys who dreamed of the RAF RAAF USAF etc may have thought twice as it would not be the same job they initially were after.

CX a job but its not flying
 

If you watch Episode 2 you get to ironically see the truth.

Do you want to be a flying pilot whose skills are appreciated in the front line or a flight deck manager, whom is increasingly being managed at GM level.

Well done Sam, good decision enjoy your freedom. I'm very envious. Ironically his Dad, Ian cannot wait to get some more sectors. It beats a B747.

Funny thing this passion for flying. Sadly CX with all it current politics falls wowfully short.

Quite a few of the SOs I fly with are ex-military. All Brits so I assume RAF. (Navy?) Albeit with a range of flying experience. Some guys were on Chinook Conversion courses, some on Fighter weapons courses, some navigators. All cruelly bitten by defence monetary cuts.
It's quite telling that these (mainly good) lads came to Cathay. It was the best thing on offer at the time to them.
I truly hope that the company sees to keep guys like this and makes them a HKPA / Housing offer that will keep them here as we need this kind of natural ability within our ranks.

The most dangerous place in the world to be a pilot - Telegraph

His last sentance - Time to start a family! and get back to the UK.
Many more basings are going to have to happen.

A Career job at the top of our profession needs to balance a good lifestyle, fun rewarding job with family stability all in one.

Currently the frustration incl all those aspects are not what they could easily be.

Couple of people I know who went to Susi air only did so AFTER they failed the Ryanair assessment. Things aren't always so black and white so don't be so quick to judge, not everyone has the same opportunities coming out of flying school.

Sam's dad, Ian, just recently retired from CX!

Top show:ok: makes me want to move to Medan and become the king and quit this shambles that's unfolding like a slow train wreck...:ugh:

Well, congrats to Sam for not taking the easy route by jumping at the CX cadetship...

Err, no. Just, no.

Actually, errr, yes. Just, yes.

And not just one.

Sam is in episode 2.
Ian was a gentleman to work with. Glad to see he is enjoying retirement.

You do know what a 'Weapons Course' is right??
If you're saying that any of the recent iCadets joined CX after being made redundant by the MoD whilst learning to be FWIs
then no, you don't.

The term you're looking for is Intro Fighter Course. BIG difference, to put it mildly.

Superfrozo,

Were you a QWI?

No. Just a filthy trimmer. I trimmed. Filthily.

Great to see Sam's Dad, Ian, in episode 2.

Best Regards Ian....it was always a pleasure to fly with you!

Enjoy your retirement.