how's your initial interview going?

Probably not PPL but CPL check rides .Just like in FTA, even CASA CPL or MECIR holder cadets need to have CPL check rides over there, however test is not based on CASA standard but HK CAD standard .

Could anyone tell about how many cadet pilots are enrolled in a CPA/CP/CX program recently? maybe 15-20?

Hi Guys,

I applied for the CX cadet programme yesterday, do you you guys roughly know how long it takes from initial application submission to receiving the first email for the online amplitude tests.

Initial interview
 

I did mine few days ago, it was very chill, it's purely HR
I have only one lady with me, whole process with mostly personal questions and little touch about Cathay knowledge(fleet, destination).

They wanna know why you want to fly, why you choose Cathay, do you know what is SO job, will you be able to take few years of wait, how would you feel about the training program in FTA or integrated. How do you like to work in HK, how is your family feeling about it... Then she nicely introduced what is in the next panel interview and following steps, telling me to expect more since I have pilot license already.

I got news about the next interview the second day, it was a pleasant experience.

Thank you for you answers lz. There are several similar questions in my initial interview and I am preparing for the final interview. Feeling so hard to prepare for the technical questions since I have no flight experience.

initial interview
 

hi do you start your final interview ，I will attend initial interview ，can you share some experience to me （questions or subject ）？

I'm sure the training captain wouldnt expect a lot from you, watch some youtube videos about how planes fly, some aircrafts you really like, whats the specs of the aircrafts, show them you are genuinely interested in flying and aviation rather than take it as any ther jobs...

And don't forget to show them you are absolutely OKAY to be a temporary Customer Service at the Airport, to work at the check in counter, greeting passengers, check in their bags, check their passports, greet and meet passengers at the arrival halls, and maybe, maybe someday to work as Flight Attendant serving peanuts and drinks, and pushing trolleys as well. To the current Head of Flying Training, title means nothing, everything is possible, after pilots are also human, can use them in many different ways. What a mess.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....41b16d4685.png
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c2fb251ecd.png

How long did it take for you to hear back from them since applying? Was just wondering. I also sent in my application and I've got my license already.

I have convited a driving offense before (sentenced for Careless Driving), will that affects my application?

I have infected with STDs previously due to many sex partners and sex without protection (careless mistakes), will that affect my candidacy as well?

That was mean.



But I also agree lmao, the application probably stop right after he/she click yes to convicted before.

Now I'm just happy that I got a lawyer and got my reckless driving ticket dismissed... did 85 in a 55 trying to pass a old lady in her buick

Hello everyone!

I'm a bit unfamiliar with HKCAD and CX, so I'm puzzled by the phenomenon of CX's Second Officer (SO) lasting for 6 to 7 years.
This is unusual because, in most countries, the SO phase is just a period for accumulating experience, typically lasting one to two years.

Initially, I thought this might be due to CX's heavy fleet, which could require higher standards for FO promotion. However, in a similar airline like SIA, SOs often get promoted within 1.5 years. So, it doesn't seem to be the case.

Then, what could be the reason? Is it due to CX's unique FO experience requirements or specific licensing experience requirements from HKCAD? Are there any documents or regulations supporting this requirement?


PS: My impression is that CX has a requirement of 2,000 hours of experience for FO promotion. Is this true?


I appreciate anyone who can help clarify my confusion. Thank you for your generosity!

For those who wanna to join Cathay as cadet these day , you got to ensure you have sufficient fund for at least 2 years before you receive your 1st pay check , something like $30,000 HKD .

Cathay used to send cadet to Australia for flight training with accommodation provided and subsidies, however , most of the cadets these day will be doing 9 mths ground school training in Hong Kong with zero income or subsidies, neither accommodation . For cadets from oversea they got to sort out their own place to stay !

Another 7-9 months flight training afterwards in Arizona US sounds slight better than life in Hk as flying school does provide accommodation, but NOT MEAL . Cadets are required to sort all these out on their own cost .
By the tine they finish the flight training and back to HK , employment contract may not be available for a while,

Being a Cathay cadet isn’t a privilege anymore, hopefully their hard work will pay off one day .

But based on the brochure we received from HR, weekly allowance will be given for both in HK and in AUS/US. Are they just lying? I was expecting something like 500HKD per day allowance (per diem) like we have in Engineering department right now.

Over which countries did cathay pacific flew while flying from HK to New York when Russian airspace was avoided?

Bahahaha ...HKD 500 per day ??!! You joking ?! I would love to have a look of that brochure .

My cousin is one of the cadet from oversea, he 's receiving NOTHING in HONG KONG, no subsides , allowance or accommodation been provide . WE the family has to support his life in such expensive city !
He's been told that flying phrase will be in Arizona US , accommodation will be provided with daily allowance is around US 24 per day , that 's not even enough to cover meals ! and they have to share a ROOM with another person . Cathay really brings cost cutting into next level .

Nothing is FREE mate . It’s not full sponsorship since Cos 18 , you got to pay back half of training which is around $500,000 hkd in the first three years.
let say if they have new Cos come up , they may change the teams again

That's why smart guys won't fall for it, only the foolish and the lazy ones would keep clinging on the program.
I am so happy that I did not have to pay anything when I joined, and nothing was taken away from me neither.

Honestly, where does this sense of entitlement come from? Do you / your cousin actually care about aviation or just want to get a lot of free something for nothing?
In what world do you live in where you can live, eat and get educated for free as someone with zero knowledge or experience? Full sponsorships / scholarships are a rare thing now (not just in aviation) and the fact of the matter is that most people don't even have access to them and must pay out of pocket / take out a massive loan to put themselves through an integrated course or work whilst going modular.
Even students who are self-funded on an integrated course who have accommodation provided also need to pay for their own expenses (food, transport etc) whilst having no income for the duration of studies.
A quick look in the wannabes forum will show you that such students in these courses have also now lost a lot of money because certain ATOs have gone bust in the UK. That's some kids parents mortgage, gone.
The company offers you the opportunity, it's up to you to make it work for you. Not the other way around.

Wasn’t really want to waste my time to reply this kind of non sense but thought I would like to clarify certain things.

“ In what world do you live in where you can live, eat and get educated for free as someone with zero knowledge or experience?” …. My cousin is a license holder with more than CPL . He’s eligible for direct entry SO just Cathay put him into this kind of “ advanced cadet course “ Of course nothing is free and he paid million for his flight training license out from pocket .”

“Full sponsorships / scholarships are a rare thing “ …. Do your research first .Qantas, virgin , SQ , Cebu , starlux etc cadet program are sponsored . If you still want to see that as rare thing .

Even students who are self-funded on an integrated course who have accommodation provided also need to pay for their own expenses (food, transport etc) whilst having no income for the duration of studies.… again do you research or just read what ppl wrote. Cadets train in FTA will be provided accommodation and meals , and they live on campus , technically they don’t actually need too much extra money during their flight training as long as they are happy to just stay on campus and have meals there . However cadets in Arizona will not be provided meals and doesn’t live on campus , which means without other options they got to sort this out on their own cost .

“The company offers you the opportunity, it's up to you to make it work for you. Not the other way around.“ …. with such Asian mindset that’s reason why Cathay could continuously and constantly treats their staff like S . There’s always die hard fans. 🤷🏼‍♂️

I guess you are just one of those kids with zero flight experience/ less knowledge, been spending daddy’s money and with no concerns abt finances .Begging to join Cathay , happy to work for them even without getting pay as the OPPORTUNITY . “ I LOVE CATHAY AND JUST WANT THE HOURSSS” Lmao


The purpose of sharing my cousin’s experience was to remind the rest to be prepared for the training especially financially as it may not be what they expect. I haven’t even mentioned how Cathay HR mislead and provided false information before having him sign the contract and made that point of no return . Anyway wasting too much my precious time on this non sense . haters gonna hate.

Can’t agree more. Exactly what happened with my friend lately and yes their HR and management are very disorganised .

Some people wanting to be stupid and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it...

Can anyone help me with this question?
What are the requirements for promoting from SO to FO?
Is 6+ years a special case of CX or HKCAD?
Thanks a lot!

The easiest answer is,
A) Not enough of trainers.
B) Too many SOs at the moment. Shortage of Captains.
C) Many SOs are still waiting for a start date.
C) From the management point of view, why should we promote them when we can pay them SO salary to do FO job?

Are you talking about 2023?

And 500 per day is per diem for CX engineering staff who's taking courses in HK. It's not from the cadet programme brochure.

I'd rather stay in Shenzhen and travel daily if there's no allowance or housing provided.

Apologies for the late reply, I don't obsessively check this forum as many of you Negative Nancy's seem to.

If he was eligible for DESO, he would've entered as DESO, if DESO was an option. Otherwise mentioning he's eligible for something that isn't offered is kind of pointless.
Also, why still accept a cadetship in that case? Especially with such a "poor" airline, when, as you say, there are SO MANY other options available out there. I think we both know the answer to this.

And thank you for proving my point. You listed 5 airlines that offer supposed "full sponsorships" whilst conveniently ignoring / avoiding my point about them not being ACCESSIBLE to most people.
They all come with some with conditions or limitations (be it nationality requirements, quota, fund limits, etc. )
Five (six, including CX) out of 100s of airlines in the world is precisely my definition of rare.
You should do your own research to see which one of the airlines you listed are still actually offering cadetships, although I don't see the point (again) in mentioning cadetships that most people can't apply for, unless you happen to hold multiple citizenships / nationalities. Which makes the opportunities available to any given individual - you guessed it - RARE.

I'd like to believe that your intention was genuinely and simply to caution people thinking of applying for the CX cadetship to be financially prepared, but the tone of your message begs to differ.

BTW, all your assumptions about me are completely incorrect. But then again, rational thinking doesn't seem to be your strong suit.

i m sure he/ she is talking about 2023 ! haha

As my friend is currently in the cadet program as well , he told me there’s no allowance and accommodation provided from Cathay during the training in Hong Kong .

Signed a contract with Polytechnic while still paying you allowance when you can live at home and make your own lunch box? That does not sound the modern Cathay Pacific I know of. People really need to wake up and understand how CX management works these days. Wouldn't be surprised if they take away your allowance for six years rather than just three.

my god lol some people really be complaining about a $30k hkd paycheck with 250hrs... then they realize pilots in canada get paid $45k cad (260k hkd) a year with 1500hrs
typical path to airline in canada:
- ppl (out of pocket)
- cpl (out of pocket)
- multi/ifr (out of pocket)
- cfi and instructor job paying about $30k/year cad, so you probably need to work a second job
- 1500hrs and take atpl
- entry level FO at a regional paying $45k/year cad

but OMG CATHAY CADET SO **** FOR LAZY AND FOOLISH PEOPLE

Is the cadet program opened for foreign nationalities? I read more than 10 pages recent posts here and it seems like many of AUS and also other foreigners are undergoing this program currently.

CXKR2022

The page still states that Hong Kong PR is a requirement so I doubt that it's opened for non-Hongkongers.

You forget about our Mainland counterparts..
Gotta be more precise otherwise people in the North think they are still being excluded from this big party

Hello Everyone,
I am currently in a process of making a decision and I find this forum being very informative.
As per previous replies and discussions, i got the impression that CX will NOT pay any salary or allowances during the CADET Program which is about 55 weeks.
Is it correct ? all cadets are being expected to fund themselves and without being paid during the program period ?

I am a local PR, so in case that there is NO salary and NO allowances during the 55 weeks cadet training, I will have to consider my financial position prior to making any decisions.

Appreciate your feedback.

Kawa07,

Cadets don't make a full salary regardless whether you are on the legacy program or integrated program. This has been their general practice since many years ago.
That said, you do get some allowance while you are in overseas, but I can promise you, it won't be a lot, (Think of it as pocket money to pay for food and transportation)
If you are single, have no family, no kids, not a milk ticket of the family, no mortgages, no debt in the bank, no student loan to pay, have savings in your bank account, then you should be OK.
But if you are not, then you really have to think twice or thrice before you sign on the dots.

Good luck

Thanks for the clarity. In this case, the options are very limited if you are at least married and have some responsibilities such as what you've mentioned on your earlier reply.
I assume that the vast majority in HK wont be able to survive the program financially unless they have enough savings and a "free" place to live.

Open to foreigners with a HKPR identity or right to work/live in HK. Most of these foreign applicants probably have HK background.

Local pilots 'stuck on the tarmac'
 

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/secti...-on-the-tarmac'

Reality hit. Ouch!!