KPHL dont worry bout that BMI too much. I got through and my BMI was around 27. I train quite hard at the gym though so dont have too much excess fat on me. Im sure if the doctor is concerned about it they will talk to you about it when you do your medical in stage 3. All the best.

FACT........ Some Captains and Senior First Officers will never be eligible to hold a base in their home countries. Your chances of being based anywhere other than Hong Kong are VERY slim. :{

jumping the gun
 

again, what is it with you guys... you havent even got a job and are wondering about where you are going to live. i thought you REALLY wanted to fly a big shiny jet, thats why you have applied to CX at the grand old age of 18 - with years of life experience. If you really want to work for CX, a HK company, expect to live in HK. hold the phone..... shouldnt you be worrying about trying to pass the interview first????!

Captain Weird, you are in a long line of the desperate.... what do they say...? beggars can't be choosers... if you want to fly for CX, on these low conditions, dont expect to be able to "survive" 4 years as an SO and then be able to pick and choose where you want to go. you are going to be flying long haul, out of HK for the next 30 years! Get used to it. If you are lucky enough, you may one day be offered a base, but dont count your chickens! Just enjoy the ride.

be prepared to stay n HKG for at least a decade before you have any chance of an overseas base, or if u get fed up, move to another airline...

overseas base is hardly possible, unless u apply for CX Cargo

Thank you very much guys who have answered my questions.

@lost&found: I am already expecting to live for a long time in Hong Kong. But I was just wondering about the possibility. Now I have the information to dont expect too much to get out of Hong Kong. But asking questions and wondering about the possibility, are those things come bad over to you? Or do I ask stupid questions... Not, I was not aware of the 'slots' and the huge amount of pilots which want to get out of Hong Kong. Now I know it. Thank you too for answering my question.

Does anyone know where to find the most up to date salary for s/o's?

1st interview
 

Just been emailed about first interview in HK. I indicated Singapore as first choice and Hk 2nd choice. Applied in late Dec 2010. Didnt managed to go for the Spore interview leh but they gave me HK on May 11. Anyone?

NICE!!

i think putting HK as 2nd choice will end up like your case

HK is also on my 2nd choice, but i haven't received any email from them..


Do note that if u reject going to HK, i'm afraid u'll have to wait till the next time they come to SG, which may be 2012 March-May..

Hi guys! Thank you so much for the very useful information. I'm a fresh graduate from Independent Administrative Institution Civil Aviation College, Japan.
I have JCAB(Civil Aviation Bureau of Japan) CPL and IR and 250hrs of FLT time. Actually I’m an Indonesian and have been in Japan for 10yrs.
I really want to be a pilot of CX, so if you don’t mind could you give me some info about the CX cadet pilot programme ?
And of course I wonder if we can help each other and make good friends too.
Thank you so much!

Guys,

This is a very informative thread, I hope we all can assume the high standards of CX.. But I have a question about the selection pass rates..

What are the pass rates over the selection processes?
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
Stage 4(FG):

Somebody who has an idea??

Thanks!

Hi guys.. has any1 who attended the Singapore selection in March received a response from CX yet?

ask haliflex

what scale do cadet entry captains go on? C scale or it goes up by rank?
thanks

Anyone still needing to purchase the Ravens APM, contact me via PM!

You do actually realise that there is no such thing as C-Scale? It is just an affectionate term given to the B-Scalers that aren't on ex-pat terms.
Promotion to different ranks does not put you on a different scale. But yes, LEC will always remain on the B-Scale (C -Scale) regardless of the new 36K per month available to them.

Thanks for the info betpump5 :ok:

Just another quick question, do JFOs get a proper rating to log "real hours" and properly type rated as well?, and whats the difderence between JFO duties and a normal FO?
Cheers in advance

You get a full rating as a JF/O it's all exactly the same as an F/O, the only thing different is, you guessed it the $$$ the company pays JF/Os less (for the same job) for 6 months to a year possibly more if you screw up.

thanks SMOC for that:ok:

another question, whats the most number of days (average) in a row SOs FOs Cptns get off in a month?

last question (to those who can be bothered)...

two pilots A and B

pilot A is self funded up to fATPL + MECIR + IR, builds hours instructing and doing GA + eventually RPT then gets into the cadetship with a solid 3000 hours or so...

meanwhile Pilot B a fresh out of highschool shiny jet groupie ab-initio gets into the cadetship

assuming they both start their position as S/O at the same time, are there ANY advantages at all (financial, career progression, T&Cs etc) that pilot A will have over pilot B? besides experience and decision making skills (and stories to tell)

like say for example would pilot A be offered an upgrade to JFO-FO-Cptn earlier or quicker?

thanks in advance to anyone who can shed some light:ok:
p.s im not implying that all icadets/wannabes are shiny jet groupies

Pilot A after gaining his 3000 hours would laugh at what CX is offering and find a better job.

If he was blinkered enough to join as a cadet he would have no advantage over pilot B, if B joined the day before he would be offered a JFO course first, command course first, would get the same trip they both requested as is more senior, would get on the last seat of a flight before pilot A using staff tickets.

so in other words... CX ≠ good T&C for new joiners :yuk:
at least for the time being seeing they are not recruiting either DEFOs or DESOs

Em773ER,

you pose a good question. I think it was Titan404 who last year wrote a pretty good post showing that in a 30 year career as an example, a cadet (i.e no housing) would potentially lose 9million hong kong dollars. This is based on a very conservative housing allowance of 25'000 per month for 30 years.

The integrated course is roughly 1.1million. Basically, whilst one may think you are getting free traning, you are potentially paying 9X the integrated course therefore your CX traning is actually the most expensive course in the world.

Now my complaint at the time was that this was slightly idealistic and very black and white- i.e writing some very good financial maths to support his own opinion that can easily be twisted to support another. Because actually, you are not losing 9milllion, you are just 9million worse off than the guy sitting next to you and if you can deal with that and not be annoyed in 5/10/or 20 years time, then there is no problem then.

Playing devils advocate, I brought up other factors. Like what if CX never open up DESO/DEFO again. Or what if you spend 10 years flying GA in some godforsaken hell hole earning sod-all per hour gaining hours hoping to join whatever legacy carrier you dreamed off only to have your CV rejected like a hundred thousand others in the world. I can write one hundred other arguments as to why I think the scheme is not so bad and likewise, others will be able to write one hundred arguments as to why the scheme is crap.

This cadet scheme discussion has been on going since it opened up to internationals in June 2009. And it will never end.

Anyway Erm to answer your question, this airline has seniority numbers just like any other airline I'd assume and based on date of joining. When there is an upgrade coming up, and your number is next in line, then you go for the upgrade. There is NO difference between a 60 week cadet SO and a 6 week cadet SO with X'thousand hours in terms of career progression or finances etc.

The only difference is that the 6 week TT guy who has X'thousand hours under his belt will be ridiculed and disrespected by many. The main argument here is that these guys with all those hours and experience should not be accepting an offer that just 2 years ago was so much better. CX paid top premium in the past for experienced guys, and if those experienced guys are now taking the offer on lower terms, then it is bad for us all - the whole industry.

Em773ER
In addition to the excellent answers below/above ( whichever way you look at it )
I would suggest Pilot A would have a lot more confidence, spare capacity and better situational awareness than Pilot B. Pilot B's ability to follow a green or pink line on an ND will not be argued, but his ability to feel, hear, anticipate, sense, judge, think, love, nurture ( sometimes the BSJ's need this ) will definately be lacking. This will probably cause him to struggle through his training and checking, unless of course he is an Ace.

Nice post betpump!

I suppose you are a employee of CX? Based @VHHH.. Did you do the CX CPP too?

It is, as how I see it, a win-win situation. I know that a lot of people here will blame me but it is, how I see it. Those who can't afford a flight training can gain via this way their dreamjob. Okay, you won't get the best pay, but hey, you don't pay for your training and you don't have to search for a job! Know a lot of guys who are doing everything to get that right seat on a plane, with really NO answers to their e-mails, letters and things like that. I've been told that it is horrible to have a huge loan which grows and grows, looks unstoppable, and there are really a lot of people who are trying to get that same job on the plane.. There are now a lot of ab-initio's on the market with no work.

Via this chance I hope to enroll this CPP, so I don't have to take a huge loan and I don't have to search for a job! Okay, I will life at basic pay, but I've never lived rich.

Maybe some people want to add some things to my post?? Feel free! =D

Those which half a year ago to one year did the selection processes helped their mates here on PPRune.. C'me on people! There must be cadet prospectives here which went to the selection stages? No one wants to tell or give information about there stages? And how it went?..

CW

Thanks...... here's my addition.

":ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh ::ugh::ugh:"

No thanks.

Explain..??

You just said Enough explanation?

Yes but why: :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

CW
your not the sharpest tool in the shed:\..you come here asking questions and when you don't like what your hear you say will the way I see it, this is win-win situation...Ok than if its win-win than why ask go and take the job...that is if they hire you:ugh:...God guys get a life.

I just wanted to tell my story.. is that so bad then?? And the true stories that I read here, okay, those who are okay with the offer will accept it, those who aren't wont. But I never said that I disliked the offer of CX..

Weird
 

CW, with responses like this:

you arent doing yourself any favours! Firstly, you dont have to take a huge loan for flight training... go get a job in McDonalds and spend each pay on flying! if you really want to be a pilot, you will do whatever it takes to get into a plane! It is very frustrating seeing people jumping at the cadet program because it is "free"... it makes my blood boil thinking that people are only applying, without 1 hour of experience, because they have seen an ad for the cadet program and have decided that it might be a fun thing to do. How do you even know you are going to enjoy it?

thanks everyone for your input!:ok:

i still wonder what CX will do if an exodus happens in a few years pilots leaving for different airlines, with their fleet expansion. maybe they will increase the T&Cs and start recruiting DEFOs and DESOs if they are not getting enough cadets to fill the right seats.... time will tell

Dear Lost&Found,

You interpretate my state incorrect. What I want to make clear is that it is really an advantage, in the case that if you are looking to your bankaccount. I'm already started with saving money for my PPL. To make this clear: I fly every ear with the local flying club. Not for a course, but for the adventure.

What I just want to make clear is that this is a huge opportunity for the most of us!

captain.weird

I suggest you do a little more research than the CX careers website. Let’s look at two people that join CX. One as an ab-initio cadet and the other as a DESO. Both stay with CX for 6 years and then leave.

Ab-initio Cadet

1. Cost of pilot training paid by you with “Forgivable Loan” from CX = HK$1,100,000.00

2. After 6 years the “Forgivable Loan” is classed by the Inland Revenue Department as income and is taxed at the highest marginal rate of 17% = HK$187,000.00

3. 6 Years of “Housing Cash Allowance” = HK$720,000.00

4. Tax on Housing = HK$122,400.00

5. Net Financial Gain after 6 years = HK$410,600.00

DESO

1. Cost of privately funding pilot training = HK$540,000.00

2. 6 Years of “Housing Allowance, owner occupier” = HK$3,813,600.00 (Based on April 2011 housing assistance)

3. Tax on Housing = HK$648,312.00

4. Net Financial gain after 6 years = HK$2,625,288.00

So what has the cadet scheme costed you? The difference between the DESO and Cadet net financial gains = HK$2,214,688.00 which in Australian dollars = AU$266,830.00. That’s a pretty expensive flying training course no matter which way you look at it. My advice is there isn’t a free lunch.

Basair flying training courses

404 Titan
 

Hi Everyone,

After thoroughly reading this thread for some time, I have come to the conclusion that the CPP is not as attractive as CX make it out to be, and whilst at first I was a bit skeptical as to the disadvantages compared to the advantages, I've made an informed decision as to possibly decline the current contract terms (if I get that far).

I'll have to thank 404 for speaking out about the true restraints of the current offer, and whilst I thought 404 was a bit of a tight A55 at first, you were only trying to help (Which is confirmed through various threads years earlier!)

Anyway good luck to all those applying, but read between the lines and whether you'll be willing to stick it out as a career and not merely free training! :ok:

Dear Titan 404,

I've done a lot of research and you gave me the numbers which I already knew. Still I'm doing reserch, never is it too much.

I'm aware of the financial side of the contract.

From now on I want to retreat myself and read the posts here.

Thank you very much for your post Titan 404!

CW

If you don't have any flying experience it is a good deal. As you point out 404 you are far worse off than a DESO after 6 years but lets think about the other option and how it usually works out for most guys with a CPL/IR. You pay for your training and then don't get a job. Most people who get a CPL/IR never end up working for an airline or flying anything other than a light piston if they are lucky enough to get a job flying.

If you already have a couple of thousand hours don't sell yourself short, you have done the hard bit getting that first flying job.

Cathay Cadet
 

Hey, I'm just curious to know was to what happened with Cathay. It might be posted here somewhere but I haven't found it yet.

Thanks!
Josh

SloppyJoe

That may be the case but the vast majority that have the will, the enthusiasm, the passion and the persistence will make it. Just in any walk of life there will be those that don’t have a clue. My experience from 26 years in the industry is that most make it.

I should point out that the figures I gave in my previous quote are the best case for an iCad. If they were to resign the day before six years the figure blows out to HK$3,127,688.00 or in AUS dollars AU$376,830.00. If they were to stay until 65 the figure would be in excess of AU$1,000,000.00 but I will have to work that figure out more accurately when I have a bit more time.

captain.weird
How would you know the figures? Unless you work for CX the numbers I have used are confidential and only known to those already working here.

If you really want to sign up for a flying training course that is effectively going to cost you as little as AU$266,830.00 or as much as AU$1,000,000.00+ when you could do it privately for about AU$65,000.00 be my guest.:ugh:

cx_773er
You are making the assumption that your upgrade will happen in 4 years. It may be more or it may be less. The track record over the last 11 years is that it will get longer overall with short durations of more rapid upgrades. When I joined upgrades were happening in 18 months. It has been as long as 4.5 years and is currently just over 4 years. With CX in the not too distant future changing the crewing composition on Ultra Long Haul flights from 1xCapt, 2xFO’s & 1xSO to 1xCapt, 1xFO & 2xSO’s upgrades could very well blow out to 6+ years.
What you need to understand is that you using CX as a stepping stone rather than a career airline because you have accepted inferior T&C’s only makes it worse for us already here. It puts downward pressure on our T&C’s. It also lowers the conditions across the industry because airlines will only pay what the market dictates and you have already lowered the bar.
Why do you need to get a loan? You could join the military or you could do as I did, work full time for four years while at the same time going to university part-time and learning to fly on the weekends. It took me four years to get my licence all debt free. You need to think outside the box if you want to succeed in life and this is the first step.
If you leave before 6 years the HK$1.1M loan has to be repaid in full.

CX 777er

Do yourself a massive favour and read John Warhams' book - "The 49ers The True Story"

Available from Amazon.com either in print or on Kindle. Reading it well and truly p!sses me off, brings it all back. It should be mandatory reading for any prospective new joiner.