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DragonAir Cadet Pilot interview...

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Old 24th Mar 2003, 10:10
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DragonAir Cadet Pilot interview...

I'm a newbie here and would like to hear anything from both successful and unsuccessful applicants who are willing to share their experience in KA CP interviews... btw, is it similar to the CX's one?

Thank you.
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Old 24th Mar 2003, 10:50
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from what i know

dragon air is still a subsidary of cx?? i am going for the cx cadet pilot programme. from what i have heard is that they are quite similiar? good luck with it and if you find out anything about the interview process, pass on the info??
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Old 30th Mar 2003, 11:58
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I applied about a month ago and just received a confirmation letter and a medical questionaire. I did the first round screening at Cathay in Feb and I'm assuming it will be similar.

Does anyone know how many cadets Dragonair intends to recruit per year? Cathay says they look for about 40/yr.

Good luck all.
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Old 30th Mar 2003, 20:54
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Dragonair courses are a lot smaller, and will only have it once a year, compared to CX's 3 a year.

Your recruitment process with CX will be a lot faster due to the fact that they have a department just for recruitment, whereas KA is just done between personnel & fop.

Do not fret if you don't hear from KA for a while, as their process IS a lot slower.

So if you have applied for both companies, now is the time to make up your mind where you want to be.
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Old 3rd Apr 2003, 01:00
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Thumbs up

KA has just started having two courses a year.
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Old 3rd Apr 2003, 21:15
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your information is outdated... there will only be one course. starting this year will be a course of their own.
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Old 3rd Apr 2003, 22:08
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From what I gather, KA seems to screen their candidates a lot more rigourously than they do with CX. I suppose that has something to do with the fact that the cadets sit in the right seat right out of the conversion course, compared with a couple of years of cruise work in CX.
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Old 22nd Oct 2003, 00:54
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Anyone know if there's much difference in Salary between KA and CX?
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Old 22nd Oct 2003, 12:59
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Thumbs down oops !!!!


Hey ! Velvet_ice !!! If you mention that KA has ANYTHING at all to do with CX, much less being a subsidiary and you can kiss any career there 'Bye Bye" !!!

KA has naught to do with CX so get all your information correct before going in and tripping over your tongue !!!

My mates there say it is pretty good so a worthwhile job !

KA is an excellent career and cadets go from school into the Right seat of an A330 with 160 hours odd in total : most pilots would kill for that !! If you want to jump into a difficult but satisfying aviation career KA is a dream job for a young guy or gal !

Find a KA pilot and grill them before an interview .....

best of British
 
Old 22nd Oct 2003, 19:48
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Actually 220 hours of flying and 60 hours of a generic 737 simulator.

The course will be hard I am sure, compared to the CX SO course.

Cheers
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Old 29th Oct 2003, 00:51
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Does anyone know salary differences?

CX SO is HK$386,556 per year (I'm told)

anyone know what the equivalent is for KA?
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Old 29th Oct 2003, 20:31
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Flying Bagel, can you give some examples of why you say the KA cadet selection process is more "vigorous" than CX?

I personally know at least 2 KA cadets who couldn't get into CX but got into the KA program at a later date. This perhaps suggests that the KA selection process at the very least has the same requirements as CX if not lower.

Captain White, I couldn't agree with you more when you said that a career at KA is something pilots around the world would die for, and given KA's competitive state with CX now, it would probably be in the best interest of the interviewee not to say that KA is a "subsidiary" of CX. But I would have stopped there, what you said:

"KA has naught to do with CX so get all your information correct before going in and tripping over your tongue !!! "

....is a bit over the top, the last time I checked, CX held a 19% stake in KA....
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Old 30th Oct 2003, 15:45
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i wouldn't say ones standard in cadet recruitment is higher than the other. I'd suggest that the two companies differ in the type of characters the look for.
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Old 30th Oct 2003, 23:25
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What's the difference then?
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Old 31st Oct 2003, 01:01
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Well Dragonair is a bit more vigorous with initial interview, due to the fact they start flying right seat right away.

Sometimes it seems to me CX does not like anyone to be too vigorous. Majority of KA's cadets were rejected by CX and they are all very pleased that that happened.

How many CX cadets can now say they would rather sit in the back serving drinks, compared to KA starting to fly?


As for the money issue, it disgusts me to see it keep on popping up from wannabes.

Only one tip I can give you guys out there is....do not be a fool and apply to both airlines at the same time. You only screw yourself in the long run, if you don't get successful right away.
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Old 31st Oct 2003, 01:40
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Part of the CX Cadet Training is acting as cabin crew?

Why can't someone just say what the differences in salary are? It's an interesting question.

Should we really not be applying to CX and KA at the same time? It's just that if i'm rejected for one, then i'm back to square one and have to sit on my ass for another few months to get replies and interviews from the other airline. Doesn't it make more sense to apply to both at the same time. You will be saving alot of time, and remaining up-to-date and alert during both recruitment processes.
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Old 2nd Nov 2003, 02:45
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Agree with mrben on the timing of applications.

Agree with smallwing about the money. Wannabes should not be too concerned about that, particularly in HK, they do very well and only have to look at some of the starting salaries in Europe or the US to appreciate how lucky they are to earn that kind of $$ with so little expreience.

I'd fly for anyone regardless of money, as long as I could survive!

Why do you think it is a bad idea to apply for them at the same time smallwing? I would have though it would show even more motivation to get flying.

Just my 2c
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Old 2nd Nov 2003, 16:16
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Motivation yes, but might need to consider the fact you might have to give one side up for interviews with the other, and then if you screw up that side, and want a chance with the other company, you might not have that chance again easily. That is just the way I see it.

I also like to see wannabes more firm on which airline to choose, not just for the love of flying. Hopefully people can expand on this point in this forum.
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Old 3rd Nov 2003, 00:18
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How many CX cadets can now say they would rather sit in the back serving drinks, compared to KA starting to fly?
Well honestly Smallwing, if it means at the end of the day you're working for a world-renowned top-class airline with a possibility (and choice on command upgrade) of flying a wider variety of the latest Airbus AND Boeing types to a much LARGER number of truly INTERNATIONAL destinations, then yes, I would rather wait a couple of years in the back accumulating experience, and I can say that for a lot of CX cadets, if not all. And if you're think you're so superior that getting the Captain or FO (who is imparting his/her valuable knowledge and experience to you) a drink during a 14-hour flight is so degrading, then I suggest you be your own Captain from day one and stick to your C150.

Do you really think that CX cadets have never thought about their careers BEFORE they made their choice? Do you think that they just end up in Parafield one day and go "oh my, I should have went to Dragonair so I can immediately start flying to China day-in day-out once I graduate......"?

Majority of KA's cadets were rejected by CX and they are all very pleased that that happened.
All?? You know that for a fact Smallwing? I'm just amazed at the fact that you're able to speak to all of them....

According to your profile Smallwing, you fly a C150 and you're "Lazy and fat" with an interest in "anything that doesn't require thinking"...I sure hope we won't be sharing the same skies when you fly!!
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Old 3rd Nov 2003, 00:32
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I have applied to both CX and KA. I really really hope I get into CX. I have nowhere near the same interest in joining KA. I have travelled to most Asian countries already and don't really want to fly in between them for the next 10 years of my life. I want to see more of Europe and America! Just my preference anyway.

I would also much rather spend a few more years 'at the back' gaining experience than being thrown in front of the controls. Maybe I just lack confidence at the moment, but I really admire how a Captain handles those huge responsibilities.
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