Cadetship confusion. Please Help!
 

I completed my Business degree last year with very good marks in all my subjects (Final GPA of 3.1). Over the past few months I have been flying once a week at the Central Coast Aero Club in Warnervale and now have 12 hours flying experience. I completed my Pre-solo exam a few weeks back and my instructor has indicated I am ready to go solo. The weather hasn't been great the last few times I have gone flying so I am yet to go solo. Weather permitting; I plan to go solo this Wednesday.

I intend on applying for the next round of cadetships with Cathay Pacific, Virgin Australia and Jetstar. I anticipate that my Uni marks, flying experience and passion will be sufficient to be seriously considered. In the mean time, I would like to keep flying and get my PPL however I am uncertain if it is worth getting my PPL if I will have to go through the whole process again (assuming I am accepted into a cadet program). My parents have said they will support me to get my PPL as long as I contribute also. If I do continue my training and get my PPL it will mean that I will have to pay for part of my PPL training, all of my cadetship training (if I get in) and also repay my uni degree loan which is $27k.


So my question is: Do you think having my PPL will set me above the rest when it comes to getting selected for a regular cadetship, or do you think I should complete my student training and then stop flying pending acceptance into a cadetship?

Please help!

Wing Boy
 

First of all, do you have a Hong Kong ID card? If not then you need to have a CPL just to be considered for the cadet program. I really suggest you research more into this as it doesn't seem you have done much. First of all, the training in the Cathay Cadet Program is paid for completely by Cathay, you are only bonded for 6 years of service. In the cadet program you will be assessed on your flying skills based on how many hours you have, that way they are not assessing someone with zero hours against a PPL holder. Getting a PPL won't hurt (apart from making flight grading harder) and it would show enthusiasm but in my opinion it won't help you that much.

Been waiting for a year now
 

I sent in an advanced cadet application about a year ago but i haven´t heard anything from them, i´ve heard the wait can be long but is a year really normal? :uhoh:

From what I gather, if you apply at a time they are not really focusing on your geographic area, you are pretty much lost forever. Think I've been waiting about 30 months now ;)

How long?
 

I had an application in for just short of 2 years before I got a call to stage 1. I only started sending in updates after 18 months. I think that is what did the trick.

Every 4 or 5 months send and email to the recruitment address with an hours update. That way you stay in the loop (my opinion only)

When I went to stage 2 the only people with 250 hours or less were Hong Kong ID card holders. The rest of us had 1000 to 3000 hours. Think they may be shying away from the 250 Cpl's these days. That's just my opinion again.

.
 

Yea i sent them my updated resume yesterday and they acknowledged, i don´t want to sound pushy and try to get information from them about the waiting time but i really thought due to the rapid expansion in asia that the process would be faster, but they must get allot of applications :}

Rapid expansion in Asia, maybe, but contraction in CX for sure.

Has anyone received invitation to attend first test/interview in Nov in HK??

Anyone going for group exercise n paneal interview on 12th nov or that period? Wanna meet up n do some preparation tgt? If yes please pm me. Thanks.

Received these words in an email from Cathay Pacific a couple of weeks ago:

"We recently received the Training Plan outlining the crew requirements for 2013, and unfortunately it indicates a reduction in our training requirements from those originally projected for the next twelve months. The ground school quota for the short term future will be fulfilled by new joiners currently on course. Unless there is a change to the current projection, it looks unlikely that we will have a requirement to commence any new Second Officer TT courses within the next 10 to 12 months."

Don't expect much to happen anytime soon, sorry to burst anyones bubble, but no one else seemed to be posting the facts!

...but there is some solace in that when CX decides to slow down recruiting, it usually means that the airline industry is about to pick up.

The facts
 

Vero,

First I must ask what stage of the process are you at? Was it addressed to you personally or was it a group send?

@pilotchute,

Passed everything about 6 months ago and was accepted onto the TT program. But then got this email 2 weeks ago.
And yes it was a personal email.

Vero,

The CX crew I have spoken to have said that they are still really short of SO's so I don't understand the projection. The only thing I can think of is that maybe they simply can't train 'em fast enough and now they have a training backlog.

Well I have no idea as I also have SO friends at CX who say the same thing, but i'd be more inclined to believe an email direct from HR.

Yep HR would never lie

Hi,

I applied for the ab initio about a year ago, recently having now passed the uk ATPL exams, CPL etc I recently updated them.

I have now been offered an ab initio interview, however was hoping to qualify for the advanced entry as I am now eligible.

Does anyone know if this is the normal way of processing AE applicants or is it likely I will be required to complete the full 61 week course? (if I am successful of course)

Also, does anyone know if you can use a pencil and paper to work out the maths problems on the compass test?

Many thanks

Hi,

What are you guys talking about the TT course for Second Officer??
Would it affect the people on the final stage of the interview process for ab-initial entry . Thanks!!

cx ab initio non hkid
 

Anybody with any idea as to whether Cathay will recall those icadets who were in the interview process prior to the immigration ruling? I was at stage 3 because I was put in holding pool.

Hi SkylineR34,
I'll have my Initial A selection on this Thursday and studying hard on technical knowledge at the moment.
I am also looking for someone who is willing to share knowledges, study together thus supporting each other.

Please call me or Email me to [email protected]