Hi guys, can you give some intel on screening process, medical, Korean ATPL , subsequent training? Maybe some monthly roster of 737? I'm B737 captain, 11,000 total, currently flying in Japan for Skymark exploring new options.

Thanks

I worked there for 10 year on the 777. If you can get through the training (you have to understand the system), this is the best job on the planet.

777AV8R knows of what he speaks. He added value to his next position as well in due course.

Korea is a unique country and people. The country itself is beautiful, and anyone immersing in the local area and culture will gain something from it. The language is interesting, and is quite enjoyable to learn, which will assist slightly, but is not otherwise needed. The airline engineering is remarkable; in 9,000 hours I had a single MEL for despatch. faults occur, but the engineers are the strength of the program.

The training program was and appears to remain, an ordeal. It is different, and not in a fun way. Anyone going there should consider it a rite of passage or an initiation ceremony to survive. It is not surprising, foreigners in any country are interlopers, and they are directly in the line of the rice bowl. If foreign pilots were brought into Delta or American, you would expect some friction, it is part of the reality of how humans behave.

Koreans as individuals can be incredibly generous. Don't lose your temper at any time, it is considered to be demeaning to you.

The contract was more or less always honoured, and generally activities are stable.

There are good people there, the locals and foreigners, and there have also been appalling foreigners and locals, it is a cross section of humanity.

Standard procedures are standard; There is good reason to be standard, and there is zero justification to not be standard. Foreign pilots from countries with strong individuality and propensity to ad-hoc, on the fly solutions are not tolerated there. Given the underlying language issues, it is paramount to be standardised,

Overall, it is a reasonable airline, but it is entirely dependent on the individuals temperament, consider it a mirror.

Getting involved in management is fraught with local politics, and results in confliction as often as not. Not impossible, but expect blowback.

good luck,

Overall, KE permits your family to stay home where they want to be, at the cost of your work demands. EK/EY is a lower stress environment to work, but you are in a sandpit. dealers choice, and good luck. As often as not, you will find the grass is greener next door due to some unpleasant realities that are discovered after you have jumped the fence. As you have a finite set of heartbeats, and ostensibly we are all working for our time with family, each person will have an optimal solution which may well be living in your own environment and enjoying your time with your family, in Europe, USA, Canada or wherever else. Both money and heartbeats get used up

Can anyone please pm me salary details for 737 Capt, it's one thing what an agency tells you but what's the reality?
and possibly even a roster or two please
Many thanks

Salary Details
 

Generally, 'What you see, is what you get' The per-diems are not that great. You will stay at the Hyatt ICN, which is owned by the airline owners.

Korean Air Family
 

Any recommendations regarding a reputable agency to use to apply to Korean?
Thanks in advance.

No Housing
 

This is a commuting contract. Best on the planet. No need to have family there and there is no benefit unless you have another circumstance.

PM me for information

The four I have heard of are Rishworth, CCL, Direct Personnel and TAS.

You will find good and bad stories for them all I suspect, as it's a very subjective matter and especially so if someone applies and doesn't get in. It's going to be largely down to personal preference. They say first impressions count so why not contact them all and take it from there.

​​​​​​Heard many histories of all the brokers around. The only common opinion is about rishworse...

Thanks for the info guys, will be great to hear how your progress goes those who are applying.

Documents
 

Agency for kal
 

what happen with ccl? What about gap & rish?

On Them...Not!
 

Nothing is for free, I'm afraid. You order food at the hotel...you pay. Actually, the per diems in ICN equal to nearly what you will spend for food while staying at the hotel. The company gives, the company takes. You won't make money on per diems. Days off are 9 blocked + 2 vacation (if you wish to take the vacation days), or you can save vacation days)

I have been "on the line" now for over a year, and my per diem contributions have averaged +1000 usd (that's a mix of won and usd)

I easily save 4000 usd a year off the per deim (which in my accounting pays my loss of income policy)

If you just eat at the hotels, as AVR said, maybe a few big nights in Korea, you will break even.

Personal choices, I guess

Break Even
 

Morning,

Could someone please elaborate on the intricacies of "Getting Through the training" @ Korean as I'm looking at applying.

Many Thanks

BYO

1. Check your ego at the door. If you behave like a skygod then you will have trouble.

2. The training is more emotionally fatiguing than than work or study. It's 4 months away from your family. It can get lonely

3. Don't ask too many questions. You've already demonstrated you're a captain. To ask questions suggest doubt. They don't like that.

4. Even after you're assigned a groundschool, even after you've passed your Airlaw, Molit skills test, ATP ride, you can still cock-up training and go home. Act like a cadet until you pass your final line check

5. Positive attitude is everything. It can overcome small errors here.

6. Don't lose your cool. Lots of minor inconveniences here.... To blow your top shows immaturity and lack of self-control. It is the polar opposite of the middle east.

I'm sure others can elaborate but this is just my thoughts. Good luck

Many Thanks,

I can cope with all of that no problem. Small beans eh.

Appreciate your time.
BYO

4 months away during training
 

So during the 4 months, do you have any chance to see your family at all or are you just stuck in ICN the whole time?

And is the 4 months for non-typerated guys? Is it shorter if you are typerated already?

Type rated means absolutely nothing - B748 mate has been on course for 5 months and have not completed his Koreanization.....

I am not sure to understand what you mean, do you mean that even guys already type rated on the aircraft they are supposed to fly, will also do training for 5 months ? What are they doing for all this time ? I probably missed something somewhere !

Anyone have an idea of the 737 roster ? how many 4 sectors day per month ?

Thank you !

I second what Dogs said....the time from arrival to line check completion is 4-5 months. It's a grind to be away for so long.

a few points to mention: I knew I was exhausted from the grind that was EK so I welcomed sleeping in the same time zone. After about 6 weeks I felt way better (the short term memory loss is permanent I'm afraid)

many had their family visit them, that's a welcome option. You are assigned the same room during your entire time of ground training so they can easily stay when you're at class or days off

lastly if possible don't do the course in the winter months. The days are sometimes long in class and with the significant loss of daylight hours in the winter it can add to the feeling of depression, at least for me the thought of starting out on the bus in the dark and finishing the day in the dark is something I'd avoid.

Thanks for your replies guys !

any thought on that ?

I love asia, i am single and no plan to get a wife nor kids. I have 2000 hrs on the 737NG and i am currently flying for Ryanair with 4 sectors days. I am not in a rush to get the upgrade and i can still move after few years in KAL.

How is the atmosphere in the cockpit ?
How is the interview process ? how many guys are successful ?

I would like to get a neutral advice please :)

Thanks a lot !

Anyone ? :ok:

Just go for it , I mean just go for the interview and you probably get a good feel for it how you like it, no need to take the first option you get, a lot of companies hiring all over the place now so go and do a few assessments and then just decide . If you are already type-rated then it´s very little you gamble with if you decide to change later since normally the bond is very low. If you go in May I might join you there for ;)

With regard to the 9 or 11 days off per month, can you place these days anywhere in the month you like as a block, and therefore can you request them back to back, so over a two month period you could have a block of 18/22 days?

My second question to those that are there is, roughly how many days off per working block do you get?

Many thanks,

FBW

You can place them where ever you wish. You must submit your request the month prior to your current schedule month....ie, March request submitted by end of Jan

blocks of days off must be approved by your manager and you need a good reason for it

days off in icn depends on the fleet. Some fleets work a lot harder than others

Well, it is Korea for gods sake. Of COURSE they are complicated, of course they do not like expats. But the expats actually safe their ass because they cant by themself as their culture does not allow them to be proper pilots. Korean in a nutshell.

Tried a very long time ago to join their outfit, thanks god they did not accept my application back in 2010. Had tons of hours on a A300-600 in command, their only reply was "he has no experience of any significance to our operation". Was upset a bit back then but I learned that it was most likely very good for me not being accepted. Very strange culture and airline. No wonder about their accident record.

From current posts - they are still searching right now? My god. A country like south Korea is not able to fill the slots of it's own lousy airline with own people speaks a very clear language. This is ongoing now for at least 10 years.

More and more glad to stick with my crappy european low cost operator before dealing with this mungos. Especially - what are they paying to a skipper this days in Korean? And this for 8 days off?