Cathay Cadet Pilot Program - Interview tips (ONLY)
 

Guys,

I have been following the other threads but they are not so informative about interview processes and stuff. Fine, there were positive side and negative sides, I agree.

So this place is for those pilot wannabe who decided to take whatever **** that's coming and get the deal done! (Yeah, some might say foolish or whatever, but for some of us who can't afford to get our own pilot license, its a whole new world!) ;)

So, Lets this place be ALL ABOUT INTERVIEW TIPS AND QUESTIONS AND NO ARGUMENT PLEASE. If you wanna discuss about financial backlash or policy or whatever ****, go to the other threads and start arguring. :hmm:

What I want here is, when the CX HR call us for interview, what should we PREPARE IN ADVANCE in order to pass the stages.

Guys, if you had been through the interview, passed the interivews or selected as Trainee Pilot at CX, please share your experiences here with your fellow pilot wannabe. :ok:

Your advice would be greatly appreciated! :D

What's wrong with the other thread? Contains all the information you are asking for.

oh yeah, but with over 10,000 posts and almost 80% is like argument :(

Well that didn't take long!

Bad dog, spot! :}

Some of the questions asked during my tech interview in Feb 2012 :

1. Which is the only continent CX doesn't fly to?
2. What is the population of Hong Kong?
3. How do you distinguish between a cold front and a warm front?
4. What causes the formation of a typhoon?
5. Latitude and longitude of Hong Kong.
6. Identify the aircraft model displayed, what engine is mounted on it.
7. In which year was CX founded? The first aircraft flown and its name.
8. Mental calculation based on rate of descent. Another one based on TRK and HDG.
9. Wing dihedral and sweptback.

I can't recall anything more than that.

In fact, it should be, 'which are the only continents CX doesn't fly to '.

One is Antarctica. You can work the other one out yourselves.

Thanks for all the information guys, thats unreal!

It looks very similar to the questions from this link

Airline Ratings & Interview Gouge

Anyone know about the new revised Aviation Math Test?

Tell us about tcas
What's the time to impact for ta/ra
What's the reaction time
What's the reaction time for a reversal
Tell us about the hydraulic system in your aircraft
What press
What quantity
What warnings linked to hydraulic system
How is the tank pressurised
What's a cyclone
What's a typhoon
Which direction do the winds travel
What dangers to flight
What's itcz
Describe a high speed wing
Why is it swept
What's EGPWS whats different to gpws
What's inputs
Why doesnt the 777 have winglets
Explain v1
What's your actions for failure before v1 and after v1
When would it differ
What model plane is this
How do you know
How many aircraft does cathay have
How many on order
Which ones
What's special about a350
Why is it good to be lighter
Which runway direction is hong kong
What's the coordinates
Your travelling 480kts how long to travel 50nm
Can you be more precise
You have to climb 6000' in 10nm what's the gradient
What's viz req on ILS
Which categories are there
Your 5nm on slope how high are you
Which engine is crit on turboprop

Clish:
Maths is basic
Fractions
Decimals
Pythagoras
1in60
Times fractions
Divide fractions
Times decimals
Divide decimals
Mix fractions and decimals
Simple times
Simple divide

Just large numbers so they take time.
Just practice random combinations of the above list and you'll be fine.
I'm not going to give exact questions on this on and answers, cause lets face it if you cant work out a ground speed or how far off track you are with 1in60 then what have you been doing with your current flying?

thank you very much!

Oh and they ask which material you studied for the interview...

I can garuantee more is better. Rattle of everything you used and at least show you've worked hard for it.

I used
All ATPL notes
Beyond lion rock
Preparing for Cathay xyz
Pprune
Cathay employees (bailed up cabin manager on flight over)
Squarefoot.hk
Wikipedia
Handling big jets
Aerodynamics for naval aviators
The quick ATPL reference book
Bureau of met aviation meteorology


Be honest, be yourself.

Oh and in the leadership exercise, don't just be the one who barks orders etc. encourage group involvement with open questions and involve the whole team. Remember everyone is trying to show they are "the one" so give some space to each other. But also be positive.

In the sim ride
Practice the profile
Remember the call outs
Practice a failure management model for your failure and use it. (remember your acting both parts of the pf and pnf crew, except the actions)
I.e
Fly a/c
Call failure and confirm
Cancel warning
Call for checklist (memory items, QRH)
Confirm actions (no that's not engine four dumbass, yes that's engine four)
Confirm checklist complete
Check cb's
Notify and plan
Notify ATC (pan call) with fuel and plan to return, ILS vectors
Notify flight attendants
Notify ops
Confirm normal checklists complete
Land

I only add this as I noticed a few non multi crew guys in the transitional stream who struggled on this, with the correct actions. One fast jet guy and a few freight metro dudes.

Oh and my sim guy preferred "I have control, you have control" not "handing over taking over" due to the Boeing, airbus sop.

Did you.have to. Do the aptitude tests? When.did you do your 2nd stage?

Xcel, were you selected for the transition training programme?

Clish... That was combined questions from 1st and 2nd.

No aptitude...

Yes was selected.

Congrats!!!!

"Selected"

I can guarantee that none of the current C-scale new-joiners are in any way selected in the traditional CX meaning of the word, and should not expect to be treated as such.

When we joined, we truly were selected because the pay package made for tough competition to get in, and the guys you were competing against were all similarly experienced Air-Force or Airline guys who needed an incentive to leave what they already had.

Now, the only criteria for getting in is eyes-wide-shut willingness to sign the crappy deal. spelling your name right and getting through a 45 minute chit-chat without making the interviewer physically unwell.

In all honesty, those truly selected (those in the pool since the mid 2000s) had the brains to turn this offer down, ironically proving that they were exactly what we need; wise decision makers.

Great post indeed!

Applied back in Feb and been called to have the 1st stage interview this week.. I have 0 hrs logged but have done some basic PPL ground courses.

Just curious how technical would the personal and technical interview be in the first stage? Having read the other thread some did mention no technical stuff was involved. On top of the JKI, I also read the FAA PHAK and Aviation Weather in my spare time. But as a candidate without much experience, I found some of the questions posted here are quite technical indeed..

Any answer would be much appreciated.

"Selected"
 

whackthemole,

Not too bright are you.:ugh:. The thread to whinge and complain about P2F, cadet programs and general entry conditions is the other thread. :=.

If only these up and coming guys were as amazing as the almighty "god's gift to airlines" whackthemole.:D. Please allow me the honour of kissing the feet of a "selected" one.:rolleyes: