Dragonair (KA) recruitment?
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KA S/O's
Hey all, was just wondering about which sectors and aircraft require second officers at Dragonair? I was wondering since Dragonair operates much shorter legs than CX. Also, is the progression at KA about the same as CX (3-5 years as SO, then JFO then FO etc..??) Thanks for the info.
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KA S/O
The job of Second Officer in KA is vastly different from Cathay. In Cathay they are primarily relief pilots, but KA S/Os sit in the RHS like any other F/O and operates the aircraft. After a year as an S/O they are promoted to JF/O. I've observed that the main difference between an S/O and (J)F/O in KA are the weather restrictions in which they are allowed to operate the aircraft, and obviously seniority and salary as well. If my memory serves me right, only ex-cadets became S/Os in KA, all Direct Entry expats became F/Os upon joining.
That is why you will find S/Os on both the A320/1 and A330 fleets in KA, flying to all ports in the KA network. I'm not exactly sure about career progression there, but speaking from logic it should be quicker at KA, as they have less pilots on the seniority ladder.
That is why you will find S/Os on both the A320/1 and A330 fleets in KA, flying to all ports in the KA network. I'm not exactly sure about career progression there, but speaking from logic it should be quicker at KA, as they have less pilots on the seniority ladder.
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Hey how's everyone doing? Just curious, has anyone went for the second interview yet? Any ideas what kinda questions they will be asking?
Also, what's the social lunch about? Is it to see how applicants handle themselves in a social situation?
Thanks and the best of luck to those who made it through =)
Also, what's the social lunch about? Is it to see how applicants handle themselves in a social situation?
Thanks and the best of luck to those who made it through =)
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Stage 4 Technical Interview
So what is involved? I can only speak from logic deduction and past experience, as I have never had the pleasure of making it that far in the KACPP selection process. So take my words with a pinch of salt, if you will.
There is no guideline for such interviews, indeed they could ask you anything they want. I've always believed in a mantra towards tackling technical interviews - know your stuff, and a little bit extra. Obviously if you are already a pilot, then know your theory and your aircraft inside out. If you are an aeronautical engineer, perhaps you should be more knowledgable on airframe structures and aerodynamics etc. Know what your background specifies you should know - that is the foundation of success.
On top of that, read up on "a little extra". This includes things that you are not really expected to know, but would be great if you did because it shows you are enthusiastic. These extra items include (KA) jets and their operation. Bear in mind the pilots interviewing you are type-rated on these aircraft and will be impressed if you can answer questions related to their toys. It's just like you would be impressed if a 10-year old child came up to you and started talking about something you majored in back in college.
Other than that, try your best. If you do that, even if it doesn't work out, you will walk away knowing you couldn't have done anymore. Hope this helps, and feel free to leave some comments. On top of that, good luck!
There is no guideline for such interviews, indeed they could ask you anything they want. I've always believed in a mantra towards tackling technical interviews - know your stuff, and a little bit extra. Obviously if you are already a pilot, then know your theory and your aircraft inside out. If you are an aeronautical engineer, perhaps you should be more knowledgable on airframe structures and aerodynamics etc. Know what your background specifies you should know - that is the foundation of success.
On top of that, read up on "a little extra". This includes things that you are not really expected to know, but would be great if you did because it shows you are enthusiastic. These extra items include (KA) jets and their operation. Bear in mind the pilots interviewing you are type-rated on these aircraft and will be impressed if you can answer questions related to their toys. It's just like you would be impressed if a 10-year old child came up to you and started talking about something you majored in back in college.
Other than that, try your best. If you do that, even if it doesn't work out, you will walk away knowing you couldn't have done anymore. Hope this helps, and feel free to leave some comments. On top of that, good luck!
Join Date: Feb 2010
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I got invited to the 2nd interview as well which is on the first of June for me.
I bought several books to help me with the technical interview;
'Ace the technical interview'
'Handling the big jets'
and some other books on basic aviation knowledge
will be using a lot of wikipedia - it's any college student's best friend.
I'm going to start from learning the stuff on the Cathay JKI booklet, details on KA's fleet such as engines, MTOW, Wings, aircraft differences etc.
In the book that I bought (Ace the technical interview) it states it got its questions from other CCP's including KA and CX and so I suggest that you start from reading basic aerodynamics (ie. what is an aerofoil, chord line, flaps, winglets) and I guess you can expect to explain how an airplane flies or how an engine works (What is bypass ratio? seems to be a popular question). I have no flying experience so I don't think i'll expect anything difficult but I guess. Just learning the basics is enough to kill you; good luck. Maybe i'll see some of you at the social lunch
I bought several books to help me with the technical interview;
'Ace the technical interview'
'Handling the big jets'
and some other books on basic aviation knowledge
will be using a lot of wikipedia - it's any college student's best friend.
I'm going to start from learning the stuff on the Cathay JKI booklet, details on KA's fleet such as engines, MTOW, Wings, aircraft differences etc.
In the book that I bought (Ace the technical interview) it states it got its questions from other CCP's including KA and CX and so I suggest that you start from reading basic aerodynamics (ie. what is an aerofoil, chord line, flaps, winglets) and I guess you can expect to explain how an airplane flies or how an engine works (What is bypass ratio? seems to be a popular question). I have no flying experience so I don't think i'll expect anything difficult but I guess. Just learning the basics is enough to kill you; good luck. Maybe i'll see some of you at the social lunch
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Hey Ryodan,
Mines on the 1st of June aswell. What time is yours? Hope your revision is going allright. There is just TOO much to read huh?
I have my social lunch on the 4th.
Maybe I will see you?
Gd Luck
Mines on the 1st of June aswell. What time is yours? Hope your revision is going allright. There is just TOO much to read huh?
I have my social lunch on the 4th.
Maybe I will see you?
Gd Luck
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2:15 personality quiz 4:15 technical - june 1st
Social lunch 12:45 - june 4th
So yeah, I guess i'll be seeing you
and yeah, there's just so much to cover and so little time...
I guess it would be wise to check out the CXCPP thread for technical interview questions as a reference for questions asked.
Any news from those that completed stage 4? Joyce?
Social lunch 12:45 - june 4th
So yeah, I guess i'll be seeing you
and yeah, there's just so much to cover and so little time...
I guess it would be wise to check out the CXCPP thread for technical interview questions as a reference for questions asked.
Any news from those that completed stage 4? Joyce?
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Hey Ryodan,
Are you sure the social lunch is at 12:45? Cos mines at 10 but I suppose we have the group exercise beforehand and 12:45 lunch??
Anyway, nice to meet you and if possible we could meet up the day before to have a chat up. Hope it will take some nerves away during the day
Anyone going on the 4th for social lunch?
Are you sure the social lunch is at 12:45? Cos mines at 10 but I suppose we have the group exercise beforehand and 12:45 lunch??
Anyway, nice to meet you and if possible we could meet up the day before to have a chat up. Hope it will take some nerves away during the day
Anyone going on the 4th for social lunch?
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re-checked my times and they're correct. Maybe there's more than one social lunch on the day, KA are probably taking a large bunch haha.
I can meet up before the lunch, but definitely not before the interview day, been much too busy these few days.
The more I'm reading on the tech, the more I more I feel that it's impossible to be anywhere near 100% ready for the interview. It's just impossible to learn and memorize even a quarter of what's in "Handing the big jets". How's the studying going for you guys?
I can meet up before the lunch, but definitely not before the interview day, been much too busy these few days.
The more I'm reading on the tech, the more I more I feel that it's impossible to be anywhere near 100% ready for the interview. It's just impossible to learn and memorize even a quarter of what's in "Handing the big jets". How's the studying going for you guys?
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Haha. there is no way you can be 100% prepared. As you mentioned you had no flying experience, it is less likely that you will be asked Big Jets stuff. The stuff in the book pretty much covers the difference between small a/c and big jets.
It is pretty hard to memorize the stuff if you don't understand it. So just take it easy with that book.
For me, the more I read the more I realize that there is much more to read (if you understand what I mean)
Definitely if we meet it will be after the interview day
So, does anyone know how many people got into the finals approx? Is anyone having their final interview in mid June?
Gd Luck
It is pretty hard to memorize the stuff if you don't understand it. So just take it easy with that book.
For me, the more I read the more I realize that there is much more to read (if you understand what I mean)
Definitely if we meet it will be after the interview day
So, does anyone know how many people got into the finals approx? Is anyone having their final interview in mid June?
Gd Luck
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Another pointer for people heading to the interviews -
Read up on current aviation news, and in particular, KA news!
Lastly, don't overdo your study on jets, make sure you spend time on other things too. HTBJ is totally hardcore stuff for people with little or no flying experience, since it was aimed at pilots transitioning from turboprops to jets. As I mentioned earlier, the primary focus should be on what you are expected to know, due to your background. On top of that, reading up on jets will be an extra bonus. As Flyer09 has mentioned, there is no way you can totally be prepared for what they will ask you. I feel the main point is not in giving an answer to all their technical questions, you just need to demonstrate that you have read up a bit about their jets to prove your enthusiasm. They are interviewing a cadet applicant, not a Direct Entry guy, and will not expect you to be a guru on jet systems.
Hope this helps, and good luck!!!
Read up on current aviation news, and in particular, KA news!
Lastly, don't overdo your study on jets, make sure you spend time on other things too. HTBJ is totally hardcore stuff for people with little or no flying experience, since it was aimed at pilots transitioning from turboprops to jets. As I mentioned earlier, the primary focus should be on what you are expected to know, due to your background. On top of that, reading up on jets will be an extra bonus. As Flyer09 has mentioned, there is no way you can totally be prepared for what they will ask you. I feel the main point is not in giving an answer to all their technical questions, you just need to demonstrate that you have read up a bit about their jets to prove your enthusiasm. They are interviewing a cadet applicant, not a Direct Entry guy, and will not expect you to be a guru on jet systems.
Hope this helps, and good luck!!!
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Thanks holdmetight,
makes me feel better cause i'm killing myself here with the tech revision. The problem here really is what i SHOULD know. So how in-depth should I be looking into? for example, spoilers. I know I should know what they are and what they do, but should I also know exactly how they work in terms of aerodynamics, the difference between differential and non-differential spoilers, reasons for spoilers, the limits of spoilers, why they blow back?, how blow back is prevented?, How I would correct spoiler blow back? That's a rather bad example actually, but there are areas where reading just forces you to read more because you find out, as flyer09 pointed out, that the more you read, the more you have to read.
There's just so much info on spoilers alone and spoilers are just a tiny tiny bit on airplanes. The problem is I don't know how in-depth the questions are and I don't know how in-depth I should look and prepare into. After reading the CXCPP thread, the tech questions seem rather complicated themselves which makes me think that the basics won't suffice.
makes me feel better cause i'm killing myself here with the tech revision. The problem here really is what i SHOULD know. So how in-depth should I be looking into? for example, spoilers. I know I should know what they are and what they do, but should I also know exactly how they work in terms of aerodynamics, the difference between differential and non-differential spoilers, reasons for spoilers, the limits of spoilers, why they blow back?, how blow back is prevented?, How I would correct spoiler blow back? That's a rather bad example actually, but there are areas where reading just forces you to read more because you find out, as flyer09 pointed out, that the more you read, the more you have to read.
There's just so much info on spoilers alone and spoilers are just a tiny tiny bit on airplanes. The problem is I don't know how in-depth the questions are and I don't know how in-depth I should look and prepare into. After reading the CXCPP thread, the tech questions seem rather complicated themselves which makes me think that the basics won't suffice.
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Ryodan
I know what you mean. When you go for your tech interview, you will find that their questions will be easy at first, then they will get harder and harder. This is what you have seen from the CX cadet interview thread, isn't it? It is impossible to answer all their questions; at some point you will have to tell them "I don't know." This is normal and they are not going to have a bad impression if you can't answer.
Like I said before, the entire point of them asking questions about things you probably never even heard of, is to test your enthusiasm in becoming a pilot. If you cannot explain why jets have swept wings or define Dutch Roll, then it's all good because they are looking for someone who has the desire and potential to become a professional pilot, not a Direct Entry F/O who already has a lot of flying experience.
That being said, perhaps you should study the basics about flying. I would think they would start off by asking you about the "four forces" and "how lift is produced"... that is what the CX recruiters asked me 2 years ago, when I had 0 hours under my belt. After you finish that, then do some reading on jets as a bonus. On top of everything, read up on current aviation news and you should be fine. Chances are, you will actually enjoy the interview and will do better than you thought you would. Good luck!!
Like I said before, the entire point of them asking questions about things you probably never even heard of, is to test your enthusiasm in becoming a pilot. If you cannot explain why jets have swept wings or define Dutch Roll, then it's all good because they are looking for someone who has the desire and potential to become a professional pilot, not a Direct Entry F/O who already has a lot of flying experience.
That being said, perhaps you should study the basics about flying. I would think they would start off by asking you about the "four forces" and "how lift is produced"... that is what the CX recruiters asked me 2 years ago, when I had 0 hours under my belt. After you finish that, then do some reading on jets as a bonus. On top of everything, read up on current aviation news and you should be fine. Chances are, you will actually enjoy the interview and will do better than you thought you would. Good luck!!
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Hope that everyone did well for their tech interview today
I would like to ask if anyone going for the social lunch on friday (4th of June) want to meet up and have a drink before the day and get to know each other?
Hope to see you all soon
I would like to ask if anyone going for the social lunch on friday (4th of June) want to meet up and have a drink before the day and get to know each other?
Hope to see you all soon
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It may not matter how knowledgeable you are in the tech. interview, as they will pick on something that you don’t know to see your reaction and your logic, or they may simply shift the attention to ask you scenario based questions. The keyword is to try to be as naturally as you are, and of course, you must show them you are passionate in flying in someway.