Realistic CX hiring minimums??

[Dirty D]

I meet Cathay's posted requirements for the SO position. I was just wondering if anyone knew what level of experience Cathay normally hires people with for the SO and FO positions. I'm not a Hong Kong native, however I do have a mainland Chinese CPL as well as my Canadian tickets. Any idea if that will help?

D

[Chilli Tarts]

ATM 2700TT (with 1000 turbine)

ATM 2700TT (with 1000 turbine)

[FlexibleResponse]

Are you alive and breathing and equiped with a sense of humour?

[Dirty D]

cx

Thanks guys.

So they like a sense of humor eh? I always had the impression that they were pretty serious. When you say 1000 turbine, does that have to be multi PIC? At the moment I'm an FO on a PC-12 so I'm trying to figure out if I have to make a move to a multi or just get PIC faster on the single. I don't know about Cathay, but Air Canada won't even look at people without 500 MPIC.

D

[FlexibleResponse]

I'm only guessing, but if it was up to me I would be looking for both PIC and MULTI. But I would I would give more weight to turbine PIC first. Then I suggest that you back that up with a MPIC rating even if it it is limited hours.

Hopefully someone with more intimate knowledge will chime in with better information.

[Aussie]

Wheres Titan 404 when you need him!

Aussie

[Sgnr de L'Atlantique]

Well,

I have got a first officer slot with 5000hrs TT / 2600 Hrs A320 and 2100 Hrs A330....

Now all I have to do is pass the interviews

Good luck all!

[Aussie]

Mate,

for SO its been said many times, they want 3000hrs TT and 1000hr Turbine!

Good luck

[Cityliner]

Currently you need around 4000 hrs jet time to be considered as FO. From what I heard it is around 2000 hrs for SOs, also jet expirience.

[CXdreamer]

minimums > Land or G/A ??

send my application in Nov, still waiting for an answer...

Is it realistic to expect a F/O position with my 2000 hrs TT (1200 Hrs A320 AND 650 Hrs A330) ??

Let`s say it takes a year to get in (I know, that is the hardest, considering the interviews !); I will have roughly another 200 Hrs A320 600 Hrs A330. Do they take that in consideration at the the time of the interview which one day I hope to get ?

PS only my first post, but I am a regular visitor of this forum

[Rainbird]

I am waiting to hear back from my DEFO interview US, have 5000ish total, 2500 Turbine(RJ/Turboprop) with just under 1000 TPIC(RJ), called for the interview with 650 or so TPIC.... YMMV..

update: got the email.. will be invited to Hong Kong "in due course."

Thanks to all here for their help getting me this far.

[CXdreamer]

Congratulations Rainbird
Now the harder bit, the interviews.

Still waiting for somebody to give me a realistic idea about my chances of getting a DEFO interview (see post above) ...

Second to that; would you accept a job as a SO (IF IF IF) or make some more hours (most of them are A330) with my current employer before applying again ??

Thanks.

[Kane Toed]

CXdreamer asked:
...give me a realistic idea about my chances of getting a DEFO interview

Are you looking for DEFO on the pax fleet in AMS / SYD, or for a freighter FO position in the US or Europe? You have checked the official requirements of course...

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_...o_requirements

would you accept a job as a SO (IF IF IF) or make some more hours

Most SO's have many more hours than you have at the moment, some with widebody LH seat time.
The advantage of being 'in' as a SO is that you are on the seniority ladder (critical at CX), and you are getting a reasonable amount of time off.

The disadvange is that you're a SO, and you know what that entails.

You'll have to be in HK to be a SO of course, and only you can decide if that's a good thing!

HTH, KT

[CXdreamer]

DEFO pax would be excellent, but DEFO fr8 would be great too !
I am happy to go to HK for a couple of years before asking for a European base. Good experience I am looking forward for.

So in that aspect SO is not too bad, but I would rather do the FO job as I am enjoying some good A330 flying at the moment and would be rather bored being a cruise-relief pilot I think. I understand seniority is very important though, but enjoyment/job satisfaction/quality of life too.

Don't want to offend anybody, but how can you go from the LH seat on a heavy jet to be an SO ?? Sorry, but that is hard to grasp.
Why weren`t they offered a DEFO position ? Am I missing something ??

[CaptainProp]

Sydneyman - Exactly what is the pay on offer + housing allowance etc etc for a SO at the moment? I have applied for quite a few years now, but have really only in the last year or so reached "competetive" hours, about 5000 tot with 1800 pic and 2000 jet....I only ticked the DEFO when I updated my application on the "new" on-line application, maybe this is aiming a bit too high?

/CP

[CXdreamer]

Hmmmm. I see the point. As long as you dont have to wait too long to get a shot for a FO position on the pax fleet, it might be worth sitting on your hands for a while. What is the average waiting time now ?

Answer this for me please : over let`s say 5 years, do you make more being first 2yrs SO + 3 yrs FO pax <compared> to 3 yrs FO fr8er + 2 yrs FO pax ??

And yes, as CaptProp asked, how much do you actually make as a SO these days ? I believe you get less housing allowance for a start.
What is total take home living in HK as you have to ?

Thanks for the info so far.

[404 Titan]

Aussie

I’m still here mate. I do still read and help out wannabes when I can but this question plus pay and upgrade times are some of the most frequently asked questions on this forum. Nothing has really changed in the last four to five years and a little search by those wannabes using the search function will reveal all the required answers if they would just use it.

[SNS3Guppy]

CXDreamer,

I believe it's fairly clear that regardless of what position one is selected for, and regardless of one's qualifications, one is well served to take whatever position one can get with CX. A lot of people are applying, many with ample qualification, and are quite willing to take the lowliest positions to gain seniority and begin the process of moving up the chain.

I should imagine I'll be quite happy to get called for an interview at all, let alone worrying about for which position I'll be considered. A SO position flying the line is far better than waiting for a DEFO slot...apply, take whatever one can get, and do so with the intent of making it a career move. If you look it as the start of a long career that will carry you through to retirement, what do you care if it's DO or FO? It's hardly a permenant position (hopefully)...it's part of the process to eventually make Captain.

[CaptainProp]

correct, but as I understand it, and I may be incorrect, its quite a big difference in pay while while waiting for that left seat, right?

/CP

[Fly or Bust]

Military-to-Civilian Time Conversion

Does anyone know the military-to-civilian time conversion that Cathay uses?

Thanks.