What impresses Cathay Pacific ?

[avidaviator]

hello everyone. got a question about working for CX

i'm a high school graduate applying for the Cadet Programme, and was just thinking about my fallback plan in the event that i don't make it all the way through. at the moment, that plan is to study elsewhere in Australia and then come back and apply to CX (i've always wanted to work for them - it's been a childhood dream)

now obviously i don't want to go off to any old institution, graduate, and then return and apply. i'd like to know which unis / flight schools in Australia really impress CX so that i could send in my apps to them as well. in other words, where have a large majority of CX's pilots studied and graduated?

also, (i hope i haven't been misinformed on this) considering the current shortage of pilots in the industry, would CX still consider me if i only came back with just a license (i.e. no degree)? i ask because if i went to get a degree, which would take 3 years, and then came back, went through the series of interviews and tests with CX, and got accepted, i'd lose another 14 months in training, which would mean i spent over 4 years of my life just starting my career.

any help would be highly appreciated

[Subwoofer]

Hi Avid -- you'll find a lot more current and prospective cadets in the Fragrant Harbour Wannabes forum. Good luck!

[controlledCHAOS]

Why do you want to work here when this environment here is so bad that people have committed suicide because of it?

do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY.

[holdmetight]

mate,

don't think of it that way. there is no "sure-fire" path available that guarantees CX will be impressed with you; in fact the people who have made it into the company come from a very broad range of different backgrounds. what someone else chooses (or a large proportion of people chose, for that matter) may not be the best decision for you personally. always choose what is best for YOU. they are more interested in people who are able to make good decisions that can address short-term and long-term needs, as opposed to what exactly those decisions might be. hope you get my drift.

good luck!

[badairsucker]

do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY

CC are you going to follow your own advice??? If so, I will be more than happy to drive you to the airport and wave your whinging little ass goodbye.

[Fly747]

Dream On

Avid, you probably don't need the advice but ignore old gits like Chaos. Keep the dream and you will succeed, you are young and it is an adventure. I still enjoy it, and would not want to have spent my life working in an office.
Chaos, you just need to know when to quit!

[avidaviator]

Subwoofer, thanks

controlledCHAOS, firstly, do you have a link to an article about that suicide? according to that thread in the Fragrant Harbour forum, it happened a few weeks ago. secondly, while i do appreciate your comment, and while the death of that pilot is undoubtedly a tragedy for his family and relatives, i must say it doesn't seem to have bothered you so much because, and correct me if i'm wrong but, you still work for CX, right? just because one person couldn't handle it, doesn't mean everyone can't. i believe it's got a lot to do with one's mind - if you can control it and think things through with a cool head, then you're fine. otherwise, you could quite possibly end up doing things you'd later regret.

holdmetight, i don't look at it as a "sure-fire" way of getting in to the company. i'm just hoping to get some stats so that i can seriously consider a few unis / flight school that have produced some great pilots, as opposed to looking at so many different ones

Fly747, thanks for the support

[holdmetight]

avidaviator,

check your PMs.

[volarecantare]

Avid, good comeback! You will spot many such little whingers along what I hope will be a very fulfilling and successful career. The industry needs more of your type and less of them. Best of luck!

[HVYMETLDRIVERWANNABE]

to apply or not to apply...

Bump this one I'd love to fly for Cathay and live in HK. I have some experience in the fractional industry and graduated from a leading aviation college in 2007. I meet their mins of 1000TT and have turbine experience, but to be honest I'm a little nervous to apply for fear of rejection...

I know what the response is to that, but I'm debating if I should wait another 3 months until I'm at almost 1500 and stand out more, but let my turbine time expire more or just say screw it and throw my hat in now????

[CeSa]

HEVYMETL

you are from daytona?

1000TT seems not enough for cathay

[Stormsurfer]

I have over 3k, and I can't lit their fire

[avidaviator]

volarecantare, thanks for the compliments

holdmetight, i just re-read your first post, and i've got a question: you advised that i should "always choose what is best for YOU" how can i determine which place is best for me?
i think in my case, one very good way of determining that is by looking at the unis and flight schools that seem to be popular among the current CX pilots, which is why i ask if anyone could give me some idea/stats. i wonder if there's a way i can create a poll on this and put it in the Fragrant Harbour forum...does anyone know?

also, would CX still consider me (for the CPP) if i applied with just a license? how much of a difference does having a degree as well make in the eyes of CX, or any other airline of similar size and calibre for that matter? from what i've heard, getting only a license would be enough to get one a job, given the current shortage of pilots, but one wouldn't stand a chance with a big reputed airline, unless he/she had a degree. is that true?

thanks again for all the input so far, everyone

[CRJ-220]

All I know if you apply for CX as cadet you start your training from the scratch all over again. Whether you have CPL or even instructor rating you learn from how to do straight level. Getting a license more than PPL seems to be wasting money and time. Thus, getting license won't mean a thing for CX at all but it will help you in basic training because you have done it before. All I want to say is go get license if you want some confidence and experience but you need money and time for it. But this won't impress CX.

I heard there are few instructor and many CPL in CPP practically everyone had some flight experiences. PPL mostly. I know a guy who has CPL and he's starting all over again. One school I can recommend is FTA at australia which is where they train CX and dragon air cadet along with many other cadets. Now, this won't impress cathay neither but there is possibility you can increase you chance little bit by getting to know some of cadets over there. If you become friends with them they might pass you some useful infos to get in. Perhaps, you can observe what the CX is really like with your own eyes.

A degree won't mean a thing for them at your age. I know quite a few got in without degree. No problem regarding your age unless you are 25 and don't have a degree there is little possibility that might work against you. But CX cpp is for the pilot, your job is to fly the plane , they got lots of people to do paper work in company, they couldn't care less about it as long as you have what it takes. If you don't want to go don't go but perhaps you want to have back up plan or time do it. it doesn't make much differences.

A lot of ppl with degree and pilot license failed to get in , no one can confidently say what is best for you. If I were you then I wouldn't worry so much about degree or license. I will study for selection process and interview. That is the one of only few way that can increase chances to get in. If you are not 100 % sure to get in don't do it. You will regret the hell out of it if you failed to get in and feel like there were something you could do before that happens. Only one chance in life time so don't blew it. Although, you can apply again but chances are very small and your record will work against you.

ps we are not short on pilots. Airlines finding it little difficult to find experienced captains compare to past. But we can never be short on cadets or in experienced pilots. It can never be.

[Old Fella]

Cadetship

Avidaviator, the best advice I can give you is to do what you believe to be best for you. I would totally ignore, note totally, the rantings of controlledCHAOS. I consider him to be a disgraceful example of a whinger, one who would not be happy wherever he was and totally lacking in loyalty to his employer. He does not have the courage to leave Cathay, if indeed he is really employed by them. Aviation can be a very rewarding career, not just financially, but in job satisfaction as well. People such as controlledCHAOS should keep their advice to themselves, better still, go find a job on a garbage truck so their job would match their advice. Good luck.

[avidaviator]

Originally Posted by CRJ-220

One school I can recommend is FTA at australia which is where they train CX and dragon air cadet along with many other cadets.

i am aware of FTA, and that it is where CX and KA (and many other airlines) send their cadets. speaking of which, is the training provided by FTA and AFTC the same? if not, how does it differ?

Originally Posted by CRJ-220

there is possibility you can increase you chance little bit by getting to know some of cadets over there. If you become friends with them they might pass you some useful infos to get in. Perhaps, you can observe what the CX is really like with your own eyes.

how could i get in touch with any of the cadets that are currently there and/or those that have recently returned from adelaide?

Originally Posted by CRJ-220

ps we are not short on pilots. Airlines finding it little difficult to find experienced captains compare to past. But we can never be short on cadets or in experienced pilots. It can never be.

what i meant was i believe, at the moment, there is a shortage of actual pilots (regardless of how far up the ladder they are), not wannabe-pilots. however, did you mean that at present there's a need mainly for captains?

by the way, anybody know when are CX and KA's next intakes for their Cadet Programmes?

[AmarokGTI]

FTA use minimum Grade 2 instructors, AFTC allow Grade 3 also

[CRJ-220]

obviously you wouldn't train with them at the same class but you will be at the same school so if you are training in adelaide go and tell them that you are CX wannabe. Surely, they will welcome you if are respectful to them. Every single one of them studied CX selection hardout and know it well inside out. As long as you do your bit, the advices you gather from them can be really helpful. I know a guy who's there under training for CX so if you are really heading out there pm me I will tell him who you are.

BTW I was only saying it because you sounded like you were willing to spend your money on licenses. I told you that where you get your license won't make any difference but you might as well go there if you were going to do it anyway. You gotta be aware of spending your money and heading out there won't help you get in if you don't have what it takes. CX wants very motivated and someone likely be successful in training phase and perform duty as pilot. I hope you spend your valuable money and time wisely because in the end having a license means more difficult questions and expectation to know more about aviation in the interview.

ok the pilot shortage they are talking about is only comparison to the past. It is merely saying we have less pilots than we need compared to past. But you should never ever worry about that because CX receives few hundreds to thousands applicants every year for cadet course yet only few of them gets offered.

[TGIG]

One thing to consider about financing your own flying is if you end up not making into CCP again then are you willing to do it the hard way through crap jobs gaining experience? Otherwise, I reckon a more marketable degree would make the best fallback. No where does it state CCP require prior experience, and my impressions are that CX are more interested in one's ability to learn/retain and their potential - although I won't deny that both the flight grading and the course itself would be less 'surprising' with previous experience.

[Blogsey]

where have a large majority of CX's pilots studied and graduated?

As far as single institutions/flying schools are concerned, I'd say the most common background for Aussie pilots at CX is the RAAF.