Cathay 747 Freighter Typical Roster
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Cathay 747 Freighter Typical Roster
Hi,
Wondered if anyone with Cathay can shed some light on a typical monthly Freighter roster out of Manchester or LHR?
I'm through to the second stage and I'm trying to get as much info as possible.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Wondered if anyone with Cathay can shed some light on a typical monthly Freighter roster out of Manchester or LHR?
I'm through to the second stage and I'm trying to get as much info as possible.
Thanks in advance for your help.
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Can't speak for the 400F guys out of LHR but on the classic out of MAN expect an average pattern of 10 days, up to 12 days then 5-6 (tops) at home. Expect when the -200F goes 'regional' in HKG that you'll be ferried to HKG to bounce around asia/do sims for 8-9 days then get shipped home. Guys working 80+ hrs a month at the moment as they're short of FOs.
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10-12 days work, 5-6 days off. (that's the usual pattern on the FRA base)
PS: be aware of major changes regarding taxation on bases !!
PS: be aware of major changes regarding taxation on bases !!
Last edited by sisyphos; 6th Oct 2007 at 19:32.
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Any new guys coming on to classics, or are all new DEFOs going on -400s?
Is it equally easy to get either European base, and what are ups/downs of them - I believe it is FRA, CDG, LHR and MAN - correct?
Is it equally easy to get either European base, and what are ups/downs of them - I believe it is FRA, CDG, LHR and MAN - correct?
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Still waiting for confirmation of onshoring T&C's - but if you work on taking home around £2700 net a month and anticipate setting aside about £180 pm for HKG tax you wont go too far astray.
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oh ok, thought it might be a little higher than that. Is that including sector/duty pay and everything? Its just that I am kind of living to my means at the moment and can't really afford to take home any less than I currently do.
Sorry to be nosey, just looking to do something different out of MAN.
Sorry to be nosey, just looking to do something different out of MAN.
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CX will put about £3900 in your bank account every month. This is basic pay plus sector pay. That is it. You will also receive cash allowances at about £40/24 hours on the ground, but you can reckon on actually spending that on food/HKG tax.
So from your £3900 gross deduct your relevant taxes and off you go. Onshoring details are yet to be finalised, but back of fag package calcs:
£3900 - £850 (income tax) - £350 (NI conts) = £2700. You'll also need to set aside some money for the car park, annual medical and some licences.
Very little overtime paid, annual bonus of around 1 week pay (again gross)... balanced against some very long roster patterns and a challenging working environment.
So from your £3900 gross deduct your relevant taxes and off you go. Onshoring details are yet to be finalised, but back of fag package calcs:
£3900 - £850 (income tax) - £350 (NI conts) = £2700. You'll also need to set aside some money for the car park, annual medical and some licences.
Very little overtime paid, annual bonus of around 1 week pay (again gross)... balanced against some very long roster patterns and a challenging working environment.
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Yes, CX just hasn't kept pace with costs of living in europe, unfortunately, and with new bi-lateral tax arrangements (not HKG-europe but intra-EU as CX is going on-shore) it's not the attractive package it once was.
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Any Details from the SYD -400 Base?
G'day looking for wages/ scheduling (roostering) info for the -440 SYD Frieghter base. Anyone? Is there a MEL base also? Thanks in advance
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If you are joining in 2008 you'll come under COS08 and the new Unified pay scale for First Officers. Link here, or just search for it http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...hlight=unified
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They are well below the employment conditions of ALL european operators now 
( on a working basis it's like going back to the 70's - hopefully they'll catch up with the rest of the world on CRM etc;soon )
( on a working basis it's like going back to the 70's - hopefully they'll catch up with the rest of the world on CRM etc;soon )
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I have to admit to being a tiny bit surprised at the package. Does seem like they have lagged behind the vast majority of european operators. Thanks a lot for the info everyone.
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This is a very interesting point. If anyone thinking of flying for a career or a flying career with Cathay...read this!
Cathay and the world has learned...that we are a captured market. If your an accountant..and you don't like what your getting...there are hundreds of different directions one can go or brach off too. So, you can tell your employer to pound sand (professionally) and he either anti's up or you slide into another positon at another firm at or better than your current level. Unfortunately, we are a such an extremely specialized skill, that we can't go from a forenzic Accountant to managing the finances of a mlb baseball team! Our course professionally is restricted and controlled by pure virtue of licence and type rating. and companies are learning to take advantage. Cathay is the perfect example. They know you want in the big game...they know you your options are limited...they know they have great visibility and popularity in the world.. so they take advantage and screw you. When your in for awhile, they know if you leave, you generally have to start at the bottom any where else again...so they know they can continue to screw you. When they expand and need Capt's desperately, they will save money and hire capts directly from elsewhere at a high rate (rapid command) ..and screw you again! And the worst part of all this is...there is not much we can do about it...except vote with our feet and start over somewhere. It is the people that do vote with their feet that sacrifice a little to do the right thing that help all of us get a little of what we deserve. The point is...we havent been respected as professionals by our managers for a long while. Why else would the income level as pilots remain basically flat for the last 20 years?
To be real, some have had great careers in Aviation, but unfortunately .. its a little planning, a little intelligence and alot of luck.
We are only worth what we are willing to take to get that big shiny Cathay pacific job. Believe me...the novelty wears off. Do whats best for you and your family...forget about the blind ambition of fliying the newest greatest equipment. We are all professionals...the career will come...and it will be stronger than ever if your wife and children are happy and stand with you to the end!
What am I trying to say you ask??? Dont make too many sacrifices to fly for the like of a company like Cathay. If your earning a decent income where you are..and your generally happy and your families happy...think long about moving around the world to work for a company that will pay you less than your generally worth on the marketplace. If your not yet in flying school and are awed by those neat shiny jets coming and going from your local airport....spend your energy on becoming an accountant or Engineer or something first! Fly for a hobbie only and see where it takes you. Dont put all your eggs in the aviation basket.
Cathay and the world has learned...that we are a captured market. If your an accountant..and you don't like what your getting...there are hundreds of different directions one can go or brach off too. So, you can tell your employer to pound sand (professionally) and he either anti's up or you slide into another positon at another firm at or better than your current level. Unfortunately, we are a such an extremely specialized skill, that we can't go from a forenzic Accountant to managing the finances of a mlb baseball team! Our course professionally is restricted and controlled by pure virtue of licence and type rating. and companies are learning to take advantage. Cathay is the perfect example. They know you want in the big game...they know you your options are limited...they know they have great visibility and popularity in the world.. so they take advantage and screw you. When your in for awhile, they know if you leave, you generally have to start at the bottom any where else again...so they know they can continue to screw you. When they expand and need Capt's desperately, they will save money and hire capts directly from elsewhere at a high rate (rapid command) ..and screw you again! And the worst part of all this is...there is not much we can do about it...except vote with our feet and start over somewhere. It is the people that do vote with their feet that sacrifice a little to do the right thing that help all of us get a little of what we deserve. The point is...we havent been respected as professionals by our managers for a long while. Why else would the income level as pilots remain basically flat for the last 20 years?
To be real, some have had great careers in Aviation, but unfortunately .. its a little planning, a little intelligence and alot of luck.
We are only worth what we are willing to take to get that big shiny Cathay pacific job. Believe me...the novelty wears off. Do whats best for you and your family...forget about the blind ambition of fliying the newest greatest equipment. We are all professionals...the career will come...and it will be stronger than ever if your wife and children are happy and stand with you to the end!
What am I trying to say you ask??? Dont make too many sacrifices to fly for the like of a company like Cathay. If your earning a decent income where you are..and your generally happy and your families happy...think long about moving around the world to work for a company that will pay you less than your generally worth on the marketplace. If your not yet in flying school and are awed by those neat shiny jets coming and going from your local airport....spend your energy on becoming an accountant or Engineer or something first! Fly for a hobbie only and see where it takes you. Dont put all your eggs in the aviation basket.
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I agree totally with 555orange,
Do not move to CX if you have any seniority in a decent UK company, you will spend 4 years on the freighter on 10-12 day tiring trips with 4-5 days at home. When eligable to move to pax fleet if you decide to stay in UK, ie on a london base, all you will do is LHR-HKG-LHR 3 times a month for the rest of your career. Believe me in either seat it is mindless....
If you go to HK once on the pax fleet you will have to stay there cos you've bought a house, kids go to local school, wife likes the shopping but HK can get mighty small after a few years and you'll hanker after home, good ol'UK.
If you are relatively new on the flying scene, join and see how it goes, you can leave and move to other good UK/EU companies once you've seen the light and have age on your side to build up seniority there.
I spent 4.5 years on the freighter out of man. I wouldn't want to do those years again....that way madness lies.
Any info for anything CX-wise, pm me.
Do not move to CX if you have any seniority in a decent UK company, you will spend 4 years on the freighter on 10-12 day tiring trips with 4-5 days at home. When eligable to move to pax fleet if you decide to stay in UK, ie on a london base, all you will do is LHR-HKG-LHR 3 times a month for the rest of your career. Believe me in either seat it is mindless....
If you go to HK once on the pax fleet you will have to stay there cos you've bought a house, kids go to local school, wife likes the shopping but HK can get mighty small after a few years and you'll hanker after home, good ol'UK.
If you are relatively new on the flying scene, join and see how it goes, you can leave and move to other good UK/EU companies once you've seen the light and have age on your side to build up seniority there.
I spent 4.5 years on the freighter out of man. I wouldn't want to do those years again....that way madness lies.
Any info for anything CX-wise, pm me.
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Yep....Cathay requires that when you want to do your command, you have to spend some time at the bottom of the seniority list again, and start it in Hong Kong. Not fun if your family is rooted and you have kids in high school. I am doing Long Haul now, I did short haul prev on a 320, and to tell you the truth, I preferred the short haul. Its true you work more days, but if you like to fly and like some variation, it the most satisfying. Also, I was able to stay in better shape physically as I was rarely jet-lagged, and I did all sorts of exercise then. I just had more energy. It has alot to do with getting into a regular sleep pattern for me. I find when I have more than a week off and I am sleeping regular again, I start to feel like a million bucks again. Its like the fog gets pulled back. This is a factor of the long haul job that not many people take into account or take seriously.
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I am in a very precarious situation right now and need some advice regarding the way forward.
I currently fly for a "once good airline" which, unfortunately, is extremely poorly run by a management which is politically orientated nad is doing their damndest to get rid of one of their resources - white pilots.
I have a final interview with CX coming up for a freighter position based in the UK. From what I read it is extremely difficult to make ends meet on the salary paid and in addition average 20 days pm are spent away from home. Please correct me if I am wrong.
This, however, is not my only option. I also hold a JAR Lisence and have an interview with BA in the near future. Perhaps this will be a better avenue to pursue?
Anybody have some information reagrding working conditions and conditions of employment at BA as opposed to CX?
All this is of course "pie in the sky" until either offers the job...
Where to from here, in your opinion?
I currently fly for a "once good airline" which, unfortunately, is extremely poorly run by a management which is politically orientated nad is doing their damndest to get rid of one of their resources - white pilots.
I have a final interview with CX coming up for a freighter position based in the UK. From what I read it is extremely difficult to make ends meet on the salary paid and in addition average 20 days pm are spent away from home. Please correct me if I am wrong.
This, however, is not my only option. I also hold a JAR Lisence and have an interview with BA in the near future. Perhaps this will be a better avenue to pursue?
Anybody have some information reagrding working conditions and conditions of employment at BA as opposed to CX?
All this is of course "pie in the sky" until either offers the job...
Where to from here, in your opinion?
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Eh..? You need upwards of a 1000 hours jet time just to apply to only recieve £2700 after tax to longhaul 747's. And excluding car park/medical and some licences? Is this really correct..?
EasyJet new joiners straight from training with 200 hours total earn that, I know because I used to be one of them. I was looking at Cathay as a possible long haul option too
I would have thought the pay to be substantially more to reflect the experience already gained..?
EasyJet new joiners straight from training with 200 hours total earn that, I know because I used to be one of them. I was looking at Cathay as a possible long haul option too
I would have thought the pay to be substantially more to reflect the experience already gained..?
Last edited by Craggenmore; 13th Nov 2007 at 15:50.
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Do not, i repeat DO NOT do it. Leaving an airline that you have any seniority with, to join CX is absolutely nuts.
Please before you throw away anything half decent, read the threads and posts available and even if you take away 70% of whats written, pay close attention to the remaining 30%. 'This is your life' don't f*#K it up. CX is not a good long haul option. It's no fun here!!
Please before you throw away anything half decent, read the threads and posts available and even if you take away 70% of whats written, pay close attention to the remaining 30%. 'This is your life' don't f*#K it up. CX is not a good long haul option. It's no fun here!!