Originally Posted by kenny008

hi chullan, im one of those who applied. i sent in my application on the 13th, should have reached them ard 18 or so..till now still no news.. :(

Originally Posted by Nastyjim

Hi VAMP,
I'm with pax as well, I can only tender my resignation til I have received e contract so have to wait for another few days.

Was just wondering about the rest of the guys who went for e medical on the same day (Jan 25th) as me, are u guys in as well?

-118 confirmed -
Vamp (pax)
Kenxo (pax)
Nivlek (cargo)
BeeFGee (?)
Nasty Jim (pax)

Cheers
Jim

Originally Posted by Starburst3128

Hi Chullan and Kenny008, I am one of those who aplied to the last advertisement on 14Jan. So far no news yet. And I know a few people who applied too. Noone got calls yet.

Originally Posted by kenny008

congrats on your interview! anyone else got called up as well? those who applied ..how long have u waited already? mine is coming close to a mth still no reply. maybe they don recognise my adv dip. :(
jaat jit..urs is 17 feb?

Originally Posted by kenny008

congrats on your interview! anyone else got called up as well? those who applied ..how long have u waited already? mine is coming close to a mth still no reply. maybe they don recognise my adv dip. :(
jaat jit..urs is 17 feb?

Originally Posted by slk

Hi Guys,

I am one of those who went for medical on 25th Jan. I received the letter of offer today by courier, nobody called me up from HR.

My letter of offer states, "I have pleasure in offering you employment with SIA as a Cadet Pilot from 17 Febuary 2006". Is this PAX? Or SilkAir?

By the way, I have a Bsc(Hons) degree from overseas, prior to that I did my Adv. Dip and Dip in Informatics. They are only offering me $475 + $25 until ATPL. Does this mean all my certs are not recognised by SIA?

BeeFGee : Did you apply for SilkAir as first choice?

Cheers
SLK

Originally Posted by JMIKE

With no disrespect, that is pathetic rates to be taking in for the next 2 years of someone's life. Whoever took this up is effectively working at the rate of an unskilled foreign worker (Bangladeshi/Thai/Myanmar) and worst, with no confirmation of acceptance at the end.

I suppose, SIA is effectively in a "take it or leave it" position, considering that there are many out there who will be audacious enough to sign up on those terms. Is this a subtle exploitation of cheap labour then?

Originally Posted by Thermal Image

If you are looking for a job as an airline pilot, with ZERO experience, and are fortunate enough to be selected for a fully sponsored period of training, with an almost guaranteed job (upon satisfactory performance on your part) as a first officer with a reputable airline at the end of it all (of course I won't say the world's best airline but one that is certainly not too shabby either) but somehow wish to compare this offer with that of a construction site labourer for the duration of TRAINING, then go ahead.

Note that you are comparing a period of fully-paid training, with a period of contracted labour.

Make sure you understand what you are comparing, before you draw the conclusion that a time of cadetship with SIA, is, as you put it, pathetic.

It appears that you think that becoming an FO with SIA, as an ab-initio candidate (make sure you know what that means), is something you would turn down, given your imaginary self-worth.

Originally Posted by JMIKE

Hi Thermal Image, thanks for sharing your point of view.

I understand that you are highlighting to me the difference here being that a Cadetship in SIA is offering a fully sponsored training, which is why there is a huge markdown in salary. While this argument may sound reasonable at first glance, I wish to draw your attention to similar arrangement for employment in Singapore. For e.g, the training program offered to Graduates coming into the uniformed groups (SCDF, SAF, Police) to be groomed as Officers in the respective force is somewhat similar. Graduates coming in are also with zero experience, with an almost guaranteed job (subject to performance) and will eventually be working for a reputable govt organisation. The difference though, is that they continue to draw full pay through this period of training, not just earning a meagre salary (allowance, pocket money..whatever one will classify that amount). If the above example is deemed not comparable, perhaps we can move the example closer to the Aviation Industry: CAAS Air Traffic Controller. After successfully completing a selection process, a PATCO will be put through a training program at SAA. However, he earns full pay through the program too. This is regardless of his eventual fate on whether he makes it or not.

So, taking into consideration the above examples as points of references, I certainly feel that the terms of employment offered by SIA to its Cadet Pilots is not aligned with the industry norm. Logically, it leaves me with the impression of their "take it or leave it" stance. Note that I am not one to belittle the profession or anything, but I certainly want to lend a perspective that any rational candidate might want to think about just in case they may be commiting blindly to something that they may personally regret in the future (should things don't work out).

To conclude, I understand that a major reason for any candidate to take up a career in SIA is their love for the flying. However, in my opinion, this should be balanced with economic reasoning. About what you mentioned on one's imaginary self worth, to make a decision here, it is actually the realistic self worth that we are mirroring against, and usually, as a Graduate, the opportunity cost would easily mean a gainful employment with alternative, attractive pay packages and as good a job prospects in another firm.

my 2 cents worth, G'day. :ok:

Originally Posted by Thermal Image

Since you have a certain fetish with numbers, appreciate this:

The Flying College has now produced more than 1000 Second Officers. The allowance paid to the cadets has remained unchanged all these years since the beginning around 1989.

At least 1/4 of the 1000 or so cadets (before they became SOs) were married with children. For sure they were in negative cash flow for the entire duration of their cadetship. If only you were there to counsel them before they accepting their employment with SIA / it's subsidiaries. What a difference that would have made, wouldn't it?

Or perhaps, more likely, they are a pragmatic lot, and know that this chance will not come again in their lifetime. Perhaps, they know that, almost everywhere else in the world, they would have to pay for a frozen ATPL, associated housing and living expenses, costing maybe, oh, US$75,000, if they are lucky. And without any job offer at the end of all that expense.

Perhaps you know an airline that will pay you your actual street worth, even whilst you are a cadet pursuing an ab-initio course, but contributing nothing at all to your employer. Save all these poor exploited cadet-wannabes then, and post the link to such an airline here. Before you do that, make sure you compare apples with apples. Here are some hints for your comparison to be valid:

1. Make sure that you compare a cadet pilot scheme with another cadet pilot scheme (not ATC, not policeman / fireman / rifleman, and certainly not Bangla worker).

2. Cadet MUST be an employee of airline sponsoring him. Cadet pilot schemes where the cadet is NOT an employee of the airline sponsoring him, are not valid comparisons.

3. Airline sponsoring the cadet scheme must be in same league as SIA.

Go on then, educate us all on how we've been screwed by SIA.

I notice that it is only your first post - and you start off by making unflatterring remarks about SIA. If you are already a cadet but are using the forum as a platform to agitate for more pay, then know this - remember Ryan Goh. There are ways to get things done in SIA. But butting heads and antagonising the establishment will cost you. As a cadet you have no doubt been told that you are the lowest form of life in SIA. You will in fact be treated as such. And you might just find yourself mysteriously getting tough instructors and eventually getting chopped.

And if you are NOT already a cadet - then stay away, You can't even compare apples with apples, even after I point out that you are comparing training salaries against working salaries, you still miss the point and compare training salaries of SIA cadets against training salaries of OTHER professions.

You sure don't have what it takes to be a pilot.

Originally Posted by JMIKE

well, correct me if i am wrong, this is a discussion forum, and not a altar reserved for worshipping and flattering SIA. And if discussion by defnition is solely limited at asking when the next round of interviews, good lucks, praise the current fleet of Pilots: then forgive me.. maybe i should search for a correctly labelled 'discussion forum'.

And yes, even if this is my first post, at least i stay focused on discussing as issue. I can't say the same for you Thermal Image, for its not necessary for you to start taking jibes at me personally. Doing so just shows the quality of you as a participating forumner. I noticed that there are other participants here who have similarly showed displeasure at the manner you conduct yourself here. Do remember, this forum is not reserved for cadets and pilots exclusively. This open forum has successfully attracted other professionals like myself who measure you, a Pilot, based on the quality of your post.

Take stock and reflect. I will be more keen to hear opinions, be it good or bad, from other people who may not label their own juniors as "low lifes". And if you are interested to really hit me for being a supposed rebellious cadet, here's the painful profile truth: i'm retired, hardly cadet material actually.

Oh btw, thanks for the following piece of info, its really enlightening what a statement like this means to those who are inclined to the field of Economics, namely Inflation. Shoot me for my unflattering comments pls, but this is hardly a complimentary statement to the casual eye, and may i presumeably cite that it comes from an SIA loyalist.

"The allowance paid to the cadets has remained unchanged all these years since the beginning around 1989." :oh: