Mark Roland
 

I read somewhere that there were around 20,000 applications this year.

Accepted = 50-100, maybe 150?
Rejected = the rest?

Do you think the chances are very slim for someone who haven't got any flight training at all? I'm new here and i'm planning to apply but I'm worried because I don't even know what FTO, JAA class 1, etc means.:confused:

kaufmansj
 

The chances are not slim for those who haven't had flight training before; the chances are only slim for those who haven't done their homework.

Start reading up!

I did my stage 3 last month but haven't heard anything back.
I wonder if everyone need to do further eye examination with Ophthalmologist? or that is required only for those who wear glasses. I hope not getting an email to do eye examination is not a bad sign to me.

Hi,

Some people had eye issues and others had various follow up things Cathays medical department wanted checked out. I know 2 people now who had their stage 3 on the 9th September who have been given dates for Flight Grading in about 2 weeks from now. If you did your stage 3 last month, maybe you should call them or email HR in case they have forgotten about you.

CMS123
 

You only go for a further eye examination if you cannot meet the listed visual prerequisites for an initial issue CAD Class 1 medical.

Are you headed for the full course or short course?

Stage 2 technical interview part
 

Yo,
I'm going to stage 2 in HK on 26th of oct. I know we must know knowledge booklet stuff and info far beyond the level outlined there but does anyone have some examples of technical questions asked in the stage 2 interview?

thanks WL

SW1 and holdmetight
 

Thank you for info.
I have CPL and over 250 hrs, so I should be qualified for the short course.

@ What Luck!
 

Hi mate,i am doing stage 2 and 3 on 26th 27th oct...best of luck ...and..hopefully we will meet on that day..:ok:

cheers,
Pandaman

I forgot to thank sloppyjoe and holdmetight earlier, thanks guys for the info on S/O fleet upgrades!

Now since nobody has yet found a reliable source of ALL the CX "routes by aircraft", I thought that we all together in this forum make our own, then at the end we will add them all together and have a full CX route map specific to each aircraft.

So far I have found for passenger aircraft: (to and from Hong Kong, also via other countries which i'm not sure of)

747-400: Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Heathrow, Paris, San Francisco, Vancouver, New Chitose Airport Japan, Kansai Intl Airport Osaka Japan, Bali Ngurah Rai Airport, Johannesburg

Not exactly sure about which 777 variant goes to each of these destinations but, at least one of each (only an assumption) goes to: Los Angeles, JFK New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Heathrow, Milan.

A340-300: Auckland, Brisbane, Rome, Vancouver, Bombay, New Delhi, Moscow, Johannesburg.

A330-300: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Dubai, Narita Airport Tokyo... and also to add to this, it goes from Adelaide to Melbourne aka a Cabotage flight (allowed in Australia to carry passengers as a domestic flight).

This is all I can find and think of (i'm sure there is way more than this). Everyone feel free to add on to this and correct me if i'm wrong, and also the the other places that CX go via on their routes as well would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! We can do it :ok:

@EM773ER
 

:)Hi mate,
thanks for the info.actually,you can obtain informations regarding Cathay's fleets and routes.They DO have published a little booklet,which is updated on a regular basis(i am not sure how frequent they update it,but it seems they do an update like every 6 months ).

i am not sure whether there is an electronic version,but i am pretty sure you can get one by asking those customers service ladies sitting the check-in counter at CLK.

i have pick up one last time i travelled with KA..(they include the fleets and routes info. for KA as well but that one is more simplier since they only operate 333/321/320).

althougth that little booklet is rather useful,i sometime use the Airliners.net to help me spotting which AC does CX operate to each port.

hope this helps.and best of luck with your applications.finger X:ok:


pandaman

Em773ER: The 777-300ER is the only 777 that goes to the destinations you listed.

The drug tests: You will get tested at least twice on the way to a cadetship. They test for a variety of narcotics including cannaboids and opiates.

I think it would definately would be alot harder to get in if you have no previous flight training experience tbh.. They are investing in you and it's alot easier for them to invest in someone they know who has been through it all before and has reports from their FTO etc.. surely that would be far less risk for CX??

BigglesNBella. I would think they just drugs test at each Medical no? Unless they were suspicious of you. Seems a bit too much of an expense to them to Drugs test you twice on the route to cadetship? Or is this from experience?

You go through two medicals on the way to a cadetship.

DDobin,

Its true what you say, but the vast battery of tests they put you through, plus the Flight Grading, allows Cathay to see how much of a risk you will be. We were told that you wont even sign a contract with them until you have finished all your training down in ADL. In other words, they can chop you at any time they like. Granted, they might have wasted a fair amount of money by this point, but im learning quite quickly that Cathay have their own rules regarding this.

Regarding the drugs test, its not uncommon for airlines to pull you in for random drugs tests, in America it is standard policy as well as the likes of BA in Europe. My advice would be to stear well clear of any ilicit substances if youre serious about this cadetship, would be a shame to mess it all up because of something in your system!

Biggles, whens the second medical? Im stil waiting for a reply from Cathay after receiving a medical follow up letter last week regarding an issue they wanted further investigated. Can i ask, is this common with potential cadets?

Em773ER

Out of the top of my head... the B777 is also known to go to Taipei, Seoul Incheon, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Penang, Jakarta, Denpasar, Bangkok, Moscow and Colombo. The A330 flies to Manila and Cebu.

BigglesNBella

When is the second medical, and what is it for? I have always been informed that there is only one medical in the selection process.

Stage 1
 

I just did the first stage interview,Thanks for all the helpful posts and specially for the ones who replied to my questions.
So I would like to do the same and share my experience,I would reply to anyone who wants to know more about the stage1,by PM because the questions will have more chance to be asked again even if I had not really difficult questions.

Holdmetight
 

Holdmetight:

I havent gone through the process myself but i was told that there was a medical in stage 3 (as you know) and another one prior to starting in adelaide once you are accepted.

So techincally yes you are right, there is only 1 medical during the selection process. The other medical is once you have already been accepted to the cadetship.

Stage 1
 

Hello Bro. Glad to hear that an African brother went to the interview with Cathay. CAn u please send me the details?Questions and other.i will attend the interview in october.thx a lot Best of luck:):ok:

OZvandriver
 

Thanks for the heads up!

That clarifies the purpose of the second medical, I'm guessing it is for the CASA Class 2 medical needed to fly as a student pilot in Australia. Obviously they would only have you do this medical if your participation in the cadet programme is confirmed, which is after you pass flight grading and have been offered a cadetship.

i have found a PDF file which contains the system timetable for cathay's operations which they would update twice a year.

hope this one can help!!

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/c...xtimetable.pdf
cheers and finger X with the applications!:ok:


pandaman

Pandaman, holdmetight, BigglesNBella
 

Cheers guys for the info! :)

Just out of interest do SO's get the same kind of roster as an FO/Captain? As in do they have the same days off and on etc? Or are SO's worked alot harder as maybe I have my wires crossed here but I was reading that you log P2X time as an SO and to get to that you divide the flight time by 4?? Just thinking if that is the case then they will most likely work you alot harder.. Or was the divide by 4 comment about how other airlines would count P2X time if you went for another job??

nmcpilot
 

No the rosters are not the same. S/Os mainly do long-haul and ultra long-haul flights, so there are more days off for them. In a nutshell... under HKG aviation law, there is a maximum amount of hours each pilot can fly annually (something around the 900 mark)... so when all an S/O does is fly long sectors that are probably 14-18 hours each, the number of flights they can do is reduced. This is opposed to a CN and F/O who can do regional flights that have fewer block hours, so legally they can be rostered to do more flights. Make sense?

The "divide by 4" concept you saw is how S/Os calculate the P2X hours that they put into their logbooks.

Yes I did think this, but do you log the whole flight time in your logbook? Say for a flight from HK to JFK of 16hours, would I log 16 hours then 4hours would go in the P2X time? Or would I just log 4 hours for that flight?? I was just wondering as if you only logged the P2X time then they'd be able to work you alot harder..

nmcpilot
 

This delves into the intracacies of aviation legislation and CX company policy, so perhaps only the professionals can give you a definite answer. That said, my general understanding is as follows:

1. Calculating and logging P2X time is used to summarize the time for which an S/O is at the controls of the aircraft. I think of it as a calculation of block hours for S/Os, which is obviously calculated in a different way from F/Os and CNs.

2. The annual flying hours limit is imposed on the credit hours and not block hours.

3. Block hours = Off-Chocks to On-Chocks

4. Credit hours = All time at work including block hours, i.e. from signing on at CX City to signing off at the outport.

Summing up the these points, my understanding is that while an S/O does not log all the time in the air, his total duty time is what counts towards the annual flying limit, as such it is why he cannot be rostered flights as frequently as an F/O or CN.

I hope this makes sense. If it is wrong in any way, please don't flame me and feel free to make corrections! :ok:

Stage 1 Results
 

Anyone heard on Stage 1 results from AKL?

Yes it is the credit hours that count for the yearly limit.

You only log the time at the controls, so on a 4 crew flight of 12 hours you would log about 5 1/2 hours as P2X. Say one hour is when the operating FO and CN are doing the T/O and LDG and the rest is split 50/50 so each pilot gets the same rest.

On most 3 crew flights of say 10 hours you would log 6 hours of P2X, one hour for FO and CN to do T/O and LDG then the rest split three ways so each pilot is getting 3 hours in the bunk or business class seat.

On some 3 crew flight you as an SO are burnt out meaning that for the FO and CN to not exceed the duty limit you have to work so they can rest. BKK to KHI and back is say 5 hours each way, you work for 4 hours each sector, FO rests on the way there, CN rests on the way back.

thanks sloppyjoe, very exciting stuff!

not yet mate, do you know how many people went for that interview?

SloppyJoe
 

Thanks for the info! :ok:

No Response...
 

I went through Cathay's Stage 2 and Stage 3 on Sep 7th/8th. After going through their very rigorous process (same as what others experienced), at the end of the 2nd day, I was failed at the medical exam for having too short of leg lengths by 3cm (1.18in). I met the height requirement as written on their website (160cm)-- I'm 164, so I thought they were initially joking, but apparently, it did not meet the company's policy while that would not have prevented me from getting the medical certificate.

I just wanted to let you guys know that Cathay may have some stuff in their policy they could fail you based on. On my way home, at my home airport, I met their B777 chief pilot; he seated me in the captain seat with the seat adjusted; he said that I won't have problems functioning in the cockpit...

I had a conversation with some people at Cathay before I left; on that day, the company immediately added "may be subject to functional reach test" as one of their Cadet requirements on their website.

At this point, I have not heard a word from them, and I am thinking that they either haven't decided to officially reject me or haven't bothered to even send me a rejection letter. I am assuming that the company has its priority, and I am thinking that those who got rejected are not on their priority list...

3cm, gosh 3cm

they really are that stringent

Airman1985:
I guess you just have to wait patiently for the their response. From my past experience, dont rush them and just wait patiently. You should be proud that you have made to the medicals and its all up to the fate.

I guess CX is really picky despite the lack of pilots.

Hi Airman1985,
I understand your frustration/concerns but do not worry too much, you never know till the very end.
I believe that you are in Japan and working as a Flight Instructor?. At least you have a good head start compared to many potential cadets in this forum, As a CFI, you should already have a few hundred flying hours?
Since you are in Japan, have you consider applying for new airlines like Fuji Dream Airlines (based in Shizuoka), they are looking for FO now. Also look at other budget airlines, smaller companies like Skymark, Air-Do, StarFlyer, Honda Air etc etc. Some of them even have trainee pilots programs for pilots with a few hundred hours like yourself (I think ANA is one of them where they will cover some fees and the rest will be paid by yourself)
Look for other smaller FBO around Japan, send your resume to them, you never know what will come out of it. Even if you cannot get a job with them now, at least you initialize the contact and they will know you.

Keep the faith!

Hello,

First of all, thank you all for the posts, the help and the good advices that you all gave others and also me. I'm a 'silent' reader for some time now. I had my stage I selection the 27th of August and passed it. I'm now waiting for them to send me the next date for the 2nd and 3th stage.

Airman, your last post concerns me enormous. I'm 1.64m as well. You said that your legs are 3cm to short, but did they tell you what the minimum requirement is? If so, I would like to know it. I've my frozen atpl, and I never had big problems flying an airplane. If I had problems, I would take my pillow or wear my high heels. I understand, as a guy, you can't put on some nice high heels. I've my MCC on the 737NG and I did a couple hours 'recreational' flying in the FFS's of my previous FTO. I never had problems due to my height in the jets. In the jets, everything you can adjust to a min height of 1.58m, I believe. (correct me if I'm wrong) I had to fly with a pillow -just like ALL the girls- in the training aircrafts of my FTO, but I never needed one in the jets.

I hope that they contact you very soon, with some good news!

Blue skies, tailwinds, happy landings,

NFAM

There are numerous mentions of T's and C's in this thread for CEP's but nowhere online can I find a definate list of the salient points. Short of asking CX directly (which might appear presumptuous given that I've not been for an interview as yet) I can only ask here if anyone minds posting what they know?

Being in the +1500hrs camp I am interested to know whether the educational requirements will be any less given the experience factor and what pay is during and after initial 12 week training.

Many thanks,

VFE.

Yes they are not quite so rigorous with their educational requirements if you have already got all the relevant licenses they require. But still obviously like a good educational background.:ugh:

Another question I have.. Are the 4 man crew aircraft they operate the 747-400 and A340-300 with the 777-300er being 3 man? Or is that also 4man?

nmcpilot, duty longer than 13 hours, crossing 6 hours or more time zones requires 4 crew under current FTL's. Bunks must be provided. 777-300ER, 744and 340 all do 4 man crew, ULH every day of the week at CX.

Nmcpilot, thanks. Do you (or anyone else) know how or even if the interview process differs for +1500hr candidates, questions likely to be asked, tasks to be completed etc?

Many thanks again,

VFE.