To ease your pain a little:

D/H is usually by CV planes, occasionally by commercial airlines (business or better says the CWA) and to my knowledge only Maastricht to Luxembourg is occasionally done by a contract transportation by car. Coupla times a month occurring event (d/h that is...)

Immigration via crew channels, hardly ever a hassle, well taken care of and prominent airlines as well.

Hotels are almost without exception city center locations, couldn't be happier, there's an active hotel committee taking care of this.

You mention your age and experience, joining as an FO, expect more than ten years for command. All the new hires during the last years have been max close to thirty years of age.

Duty times are as per CWA which is more limiting than EU OPS or national legislation.

Trip might internally change, but usually you get home when you're supposed to, no financial gain from roster changes to the crew member.

CV fits for younger guys and girls, still a very much a career airline IMHO.

Hope this helps some.

ss

@waka
may be you should waste a minute on reflecting what is really important when flying longhaul.
for example if it is fun to fly with YOU for 11 hours non stop...? :rolleyes:
good luck!
rwy24

Anybody out there can confirm the rumour that some candidates from Iceland(air) have been offered a starting date recently?

HF

As wakajawaka asked serious about the conditions within the company I cant understand why he gets these kind of answers like "stay away from aviation". Its a sign of missing respect and maybe hiding some elementar problems within the company.Thats not ok, to thread anybody in that way . Most probably the conditions are bad and on a low standart, otherwise there would be another culture of discussion.:ugh:

Let’s take a step back here guys. No point in name calling and insinuations.

Waka – as has been pointed out almost all your questions could have been answered by using the search function and inferring that CV pilot’s stay in dodgy hotels in bad parts of town is somewhat insulting – no? Had you asked your questions in a less confrontational way then I am sure you would have received more polite answers.
In this case the answer is that CV stay in the same standard of hotel as any major and are normally down-town, if you are in a country/city here the only hotels are substandard then there isn’t much any company can do about it – try finding a 5* hotel within 500 miles of Petrolinas.

Otherwise you will find pay and conditions as good as you will find outside the flag carriers with one proviso. CV is a freight carrier and as such is very good at adapting their schedules to respond to market requirements. Unlike pax freight will not complain if it routed ¾ the way round the world to get to it’s destination so routings may be changed at very short notice thereby disrupting the crew rotations. Hence, the roster usually cannot be classified as stable.
My observations are that if you intend to join CV as a commuter then it would be wise to consider your lifestyle very carefully. You will have 7 days off guaranteed (1 rest + 6 off) but your 4 day block (3+1) may be reassigned at any time between roster publication and the given days. Some can deal with this happily and to some it is a major problem. Also bear in mind that Luxembourg has limited connections to other European cities and there is no staff travel other than with Luxair, cheap tickets are usually unchangeable or at a fee so if you are delayed then you may have to pay big money to get home.
The happiest crew members are those who are prepared to accept the Luxembourg/Trier lifestyle and make their lives there. Good luck in your deliberations.

Austrian 71, sitting at your computer pontificating on matters of which you clearly know nothing and trying to tell people how to respond on an internet thread is less than helpful.

Freight dogs are usually a special flock of birds and require a special kind of mindset in order to survive the day to day operations in a multiple sector trip environment. Ops support in various stations is not always on the par with flagcarriers' main destination support and requires independent thinking and confident problem solving to get things moving. People at CV can do that with a long history of success.
This wouldn't be one of the most active threads unless people knew how it is at CV and were interested. A little research goes a long way - again. And if someone wants to know in his/hers own personal way and if someone wants to challenge that, it's ok. If I'd buy a house or change employment, that's what I would do too, but I won't, cause I don't wan't to, so I shan't...

To say about CV: "Most probably the conditions are bad and on a low standart" only categorizes you as a 'not on the ball' person in aviation.Let's do our homework and leave it to that.
Exit right...

ss

Hello there.

All arguments aside, does anyone have any further info on if they are hiring any more pilots? I saw someone commenting on Icelandair pilots? Cargolux has or at least had very strong roots to Iceland, and they probably have a tall stack of resumes from Icelandair copilots, since Icelandair has a long list of "summer" pilots, geting the wintershaft for at least the 4th or 5th time after the coming summer. (no disregard to Icelandair pilots, they have a very high standard from all aspects, and are hard working) Does anyone have any info on the general background of the newcomers to the company? Is it mostly pilots with jet experience or do they also recruit turboproppers with the slightly higher min hours to qualify?

Regards - 1975

1975. The answer to your question is hard to quantify. In the past 9 years that I have known CV the entry qualifications have varied enormously. In the early 00s when CV was in a time of rapid expansion then there were quite a few turboproppers employed but this was in a time when there were not so many pilots looking for jobs. This applied particularly to the military Transall guys and there are quite a number now who are Captains or SFOs approaching upgrade. Latterly, to my knowledge, only guys with jet time have been employed. As we all know there is a shortage of jobs so the company can be more selective and clearly if you are looking for someone to crew a 4 engined heavy then jet time is more desirable.

Also during the expansion, times to command could be no more than 2.5 years for those with the right experience. Bear in mind that this has now lengthened to 10 - 15 years if you are lucky and you will see why younger pilots are usually employed – in the 00s age at hiring was anywhere between mid 20s and mid 40s, the latter would in all likelihood now be permanent F/Os.

The back ground of recruits is varied and include many from charter carriers, current and defunct, bankrupt companies (SN and LX/SR in the past), those returning from the sandpit/far east and those who cannot see a career in the LoCos doing 900 hours shorthaul a year until retirement.

However, if you meet the requirements posted on the website then don’t be put off applying, you never know your luck.

In my case, I have 7,300 plus hrs total time, 3,200 hrs SIC DC10, 2,000 plus hrs SIC B744, JAR CPL IR ME Frozen ATPL (Spain) and FAA's ATPL PIC DC10/SIC B744 and Cargolux is rejecting my application because of the Frozen ATPL.

So, it seems to me that they don't care about the experience...I am already type in their aircraft and with flying experience to all the special airports that they are operating.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it is neccessary to hold a full ATPL (JAR?) to be a P2 on aircraft of the sort of weight a 744 is!. Not a frozen ATPL or a FAA ATPL. Hence the possible refusal by Cargolux.

Cosmiccomet: I can identify with your position. The issue to HR or the outsourced company that processes applications does not understand the complexities of licensing, nor do they wish to understand. They are presented with boxes to check and it is black and white to them. In the old days, your CV would have bypassed HR and gone directly to the Chief Pilot, but that was years ago.

Your B744 is unfortunately on the wrong license. I know it is ridiculous, but this is how it is. Technically, you do not have a frozen ATPL, but simply a JAR Comm/ME/IR. Frozen ATPL would imply that you do not have the hours to get the ATPL and that is not the case. If you were to take the ATPL skills test in the B744 sim and then perform the required takeoff and landings in the actual aircraft....then you would have the B744 rating on the correct license (JAR license). Once you have the JAR ATPL then you will magically get your CV past the gate. I know what you are thinking, "if they hire me and then I go through their 744 training, then I can get the ATPL upon checkout. Ya, true, but that is not going to happen....in this market. You can't exactly rent a 744 to do your required take offs and landings either (after sim) to get the 744 on your ATPL license. That would be too expensive. The fact is that you need to get the ATPL. Don't worry now, that your 744 rating is not on that JAA license. Once you get the JAR ATPL, doors will open and ridiculous outsourced airline hiring firms will process your application. Right now, you are no better than the thousands in the pilot wannabe zombie army (in the eyes of airline HR).

Good luck.

Arem

Weight has nothing to do with the ATPL requirement. It has to do with the operation, augmented crew etc. Also, every new-hire at CV is a captain candidate from the beginning, hence, ATPL license...

Hello there.

Thanks for the reply to my post, I agree with llccafr about the statement that this is the kind of company aiming to hire pilots that will stay and commit, and thus varios experience with numerous operators is maybe not the best thing to have, even though you have thousands of long haul hours. Once I was flying with the my chief pilot, and he said something that made a lot of sence, that when pilots are being interviewed, and doing the sim, they are looking more for individuals that they are interrested in molding into their operation, rather than just looking into numbers. I think that is true

Regards - 1975

requesting kindly information about all cargolux tests
 

Dear Pilot be very glad if you are assisting me in finding out how I am preparing for cargolux test and anyone who can give me information kindly about what kind of tests are coming and the whole detailed description of the conduction of the tests and interview.

Further, anybody know latest about if they are hiring and what kind of tests are the interpersonal has.

Please tell me that you are joking Sulemanzahedi !!! Have you read even the last 2 pages of this thread !?!:confused:

Good morning all
do you know if those who have already passed the DLR GU not too far ago will bypass the computer test at the cargolux assessment?

Regards

Question:
Is it true that many CV pilots are unhappy due to minimum rest, !!!!ty roster, eternity to upgrade, and crying due to the fact, that the good old time like it was at the beginning has gone?
Its because, I get the impression there are two sides, the one trying to PR for CV, and the others who tried to join AF and NJE for example , unluckily its not the best time to join.
Please dont feel yourself provocated, I want to believe you, that you are so happy with CV, but from your buddies in CV we heard this kinds of conditions.
Thanks for answers :O
(And yes, I am not the expert of CV, just telling you the thruth about CV pilots opinion)

Yeah its all crappy and bad. Don't apply.
Leave the job to someone who can appreciate being off duty for 180 days a year for a (net) FO salary higher than most captains in Europe, a great network and cool colleagues. Sure it's not always rosy, but hey: its a commercial entity, not some institute which has to pay the big bucks for us to always have the golden life. :hmm:
Moaners found a place in every company, so we are not unique.

Many?
Don't know.
Some?
Yes, there will always be people moaning about anything.
Sure, sometimes you do have minimum rest and a roster which doesn't contain the trips or destinations you were bidding for.
The good old days with long layovers are over.
But, if you don't like it you are allowed to leave.
Nobody will force you to stay.

@ray cosmic
Misunderstanding, my friend: I dont want to apply, happy where I am , with your CV Cpt salary and 220 days off a year :O - but I agree with you, I hope everybody who is willing to accept your t&c´s should get the seat !
@ LBR
Thx, this is absolutely my opinion as well, the grass is always greener somewhere else :ok:

Excuseme boys...
I did not understand do you have 200 days off a year?
And you earn about 5000 euros as First Officer?
If it is so not bad at all... :ok:

13 rosters a year, during each you have either 10 or 11 off days.
42 days of vacation a year.
That's already 172 days off minimum.
+ some blank days so you're getting close to 180 at least.
Some consider a couple days in South America as off days as well!
I don't, for me it's hard work ;)

I'm glad I'm one of them:ok:

ok guys, just few questions..
1. When you say 184 days off I think you have nearly 10 days off every 14 days on, isn't it?
2. Do you have any ticket benefit to move from/to luxemburg?

You'll have 10 or 11 off days every 4 weeks.
It's either a period of 7 and a period of 4 days or a single period of 10 days.
The 180 days off is the total per year.
5000 euros as First Officer is probably correct.
Depending on where you pay your tax it could be even more.

And do you have any ID ticket with any company?
I know that in some long range carrier you can have 2 kind of stby days: one long (more or less 10 hours) and the other short about 2 hours, it is the same in yours?
And the last question.. do your company pay the 747 type rating?

Thankyou very much in advance.

Hi Broomstick, for now our main stby travel arrangement is with Luxair. Which will get you back to Turin, Rome FCO or Milan MXP depending where you're from in Italy.
The only kind of standby being used now on a more regular basis is RES; which requires 24 hrs notification.

The typerating will provided in house and paid for by Cargolux.

don't forget the per diem... :O

Latest rumours say that CV is not going to hire this year except for a dozen or so 744-rated contract F/Os in fall to cover the 747-8 training slack.
A couple of those guys might be offered a firm contract later.
Rumours...

what about guys into CV holding pool?

@ fdtd
and how many upgrades in 2010 according to your information?

@ From Dusk Till Dawn
 

yes the question was about guys already in, (i'm not)

so how many guys already in? 50? how many with the 74?

Is the holding pool now empty? If not how many still waiting the call? I've registered my application few months ago, how many chances do I have to be called for selection? I'm not type rated on 744 but I have wide body experience. thanks:ok:

FDTD,

do you expect in the near future more pilots being hired? Or this is it?

Thnx for the info.

Can you conferm me that in eurowings 240 people are let down?
As far as i can know they have close some bases but they are hiring pilot all in Dus and they are going to expand their fleet? I think the people gone is because the don't want to change their base, isn't it?:confused:

broomstick, what has your post got to do with CV ?

TR classes
 

After all these good news lately about training going to start from April (3 classes as far as I heard), has anybody heard something offical?? I am one of the holdpoolers and still it seems to be impossible to find out what is really going on... and this week, the HR and chief pilot office are on holidays?! Surely Easter is coming up, but that's all a bit confusing "knowing" training should start for the first guys from next week?!

Someone with insight able to clarify?? Many thanks + kind regards.

Hello there.

Does anyone have any further updates on this?

The second course has started.
Now a total of 8 typerated ex-CargoB F/Os in training.

Wonder if they will hire any non-type rated?