Cadet programs??
 

How do they work exactly? From what I understand you sign some sort of a contract and the airline trains you for free? Is it possible for someone from USA to get into one of these. I heard that singapore takes foreigners into their program, true? How hard is it to get in?
thnx for your help

Tu144,

If you do a search (:cool:) you should get plenty of hits to give you details of cadet schemes around in the last few years.

Most programmes in the UK currently (OAT/NJE, OAT/TCA, FTE/TFly, FTE/Flybe etc) work by pre-selecting people before the course starts but the cadet still has to fund everything, though there are some nuances around tax breaks & sometimes some up-front costs covered but then repaid from starting salary. Check out OAT and FTE's websites for more details on those schemes

There are a few exceptions however; Bond Helicopters recently ran a scheme which was genuinely sponsored though the cadets still have to find £30k upfront towards the total costs. With total costs a multiple of that the scheme is still extremely attractive and probably the best UK one I've seen since 911. CTC Wings is another sponsored type programme, though I believe that starting salary may be lower for the first 7 years or so for people who've come through that route (?).

I don't know what the schemes outside UK are like though. Suggest you look directly at US airlines to find out:ok:. Don't know about your chances on the schemes I've mentioned above because they are EU-based, usually require EU citizenship and the unrestricted right to live and work in the EU. Have a look at the websites...

There are also some Asian & Middle East schemes such as MEA, Singapore & Quantas (among others) but you usually have to be a national. Have a look at their websites & see...

Generally cadet schemes are extremely competitive to get on to. Eg Netjets Europe's first request for applications through OAT was answered by c400 I believe, for 18 slots eventually offered. The recent Bond helicopters scheme was >200 for 12 slots offered etc. When I applied to BA in 1995 (their first programme since 1st Gulf War) they told me at interview that 57000 people had rung in response to the newspaper ads & they were culling that down to find c120 for slots! That isn't really indicative of the norm though ;)

Best of luck. BM

Cracking post from BM - all I can add is that NetJets require you to have unrestricted rights to live & work in Europe which essentially means you require a European passport.

thnx guys. I did do a search and didnt really find much. I was hoping that somone would shed some light on the one offered by singapore and other asian and middle eastern airlines.

i believe CTC will take you in some sort of cadet scheme if you are from new zealand. don't know about US

i did hear of US programs that virtually guarantee you a F/O regional job. try mesa airlines, continental express and i believe gulfstream airlines

You can pretty much discount any European operator unless you have an EU citizen as they are not going to go through the process of getting a work permit for you when there are so many Europeans looking for the same thing as you.

A simple look on the SIA website shows that they only sponsor Singaporeans.

Likewise, MEA only Lebanese nationals

Tu144, the thing you've probably twigged by now is that we are all saying "Check the airlines website's for yourself :ok:" but what I'd add to that is to do it regularly because things change fast and certainly many of the UK schemes are often only open for applications for a couple of weeks a year (NJE being an exception), often with little warning.

I'd also say it's worth finding out who the big training providers are (and contacting them) in your country because they often run the selection and sometimes control the ab-initio routes into those firms who do take 200hr cadets. Certainly in Europe there are a proportion of low-hour jobs which go via recommendations processes from the primary training establishments.

Lastly, cadet schemes (few that they are) are not the only way into the industry. Have a read around the other threads and you'll pick up plenty more about other routes (modular, FI, military etc)

PH - thanks, I don't particularly mind taking the time to post a lengthy answer myself if I reckon it could be of help to a few more people, I know you feel similarly ;). I wonder if the mods would think it worthwhile to create a 'sticky' along the lines of 'so where does a newbie start looking ... what's it all about?' so that there'd be less repetition? just a thought.

Cheers, BM

thnx for your help guys

Cathay Pacific's cadet programme. i think is open to all! so gd luck!

Cathay Pacific
 

I do not think Cathay Pacific is open to everyone.
Directly from their Cadet Pilot Program:
"To qualify for our Cadet Pilot Programme, you must be at least 18 years old and a Hong Kong resident. You must be at least 1.6m tall, be physically fit, and possess an excellent command of English."

It states that you need to be a Hong Kong resident, not a Hong Kong citizen. Does this make any difference?

I think it means you have to live in hong kong which is obvious so i think there is a possibility a foreighner from US like me might have a chance.

Hello !

No, Unfortunately, I think they want you to have a PR (Permanent Residency). You can get this PR after years/months of living in HKG (depending on your educations or something like this).

This is the same situation in Singapore.

Re Hello.

Actually, you are maybe true. They don't specifiate this "Permanent" residency. They just want you to be a simple resident. You should get more informations about this.

Guys... here is a reply about it from CathayP.

Make of it what you will.. :E

Oaa/tca?
 

I didn't know there was currently an OAA/TCA program. Is it still open?

Etihad are now running a Cadet scheme that is open to non-nationals.

In truth if you are keen to fly these days you need to be prepared to fund it yourself; due to the reletive cheapness of flight training in the US then I believe Cadet schemes in the US have been non-existent for several years even before 9/11 occured.

thnx ill checkout etihad

can you show me where it says that its open to non nationals because the opening i found is for uae nationals...

I just read in Flight International that Etihad were opening a Cadet scheme open to non-nationals, so I afraid I don't have any further knowledge or links to the scheme for non-nationals.