Information on Cathay Pacific?

flyn_ace_99

flyn_ace_99

New Member
Been looking at career options and have heard some good things about Cathay Pacific Airlines. Does anybody have any comments on them, good or bad? I want to know as much as I can about the airline before I decided to move to Hong Kong to work for them. (Just a thought, ofcourse
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). I have already looked at thier website. Any other information would be helpful!
 
I don't know about the airline but i do know that the cost of living there is the highest or almost the highest in the world. If you are serious about it I would look to see if you could reside somewhere nice like the tropical islands of Thailand or something like that.
 
What exactly is it that you want to know mate?
From what i hear they are a great company to work for.
They get about 380000 HKD as SO in the first yr, SO for 3-4yrs, then Junior FO, and time to command is about 10yrs, more or less.
You get a housing allowance, and living there is expensive.
You pay a flat rate of 15%tax, and you can join as either an DE FO on the Freighter fleet or SO on the PAX fleet. Pax fleet SO need to be based in HK, FO on freighters can be based out of LA and SFO in the US.
Thats basically it, dont know what else you want to know, but PM me if you need, otherwise, go for it!!!
 
Aussie summed it up quite well. Hong Kong is an expensive place to live, but CX look after you. I have a few friends that are now flying for CX and with what they get paid, they certainly arent struggling to make ends meet.

Not many CX pilots buy a car, that is a huge expense in HK. You would spend your life in traffic anyway. Public transport is used by almost everyone.

Minimums for entry as a Second Officer are:
3000hrs total.
1000hrs multi-crew, turbine.
ICAO ATPL (US ATP is fine apparently).
Multi IFR.

Current upgrade time to FO is approx. 3yrs.
When you start as a SO, you will be on one of the longhaul aircraft, either A340 or B747. Upgrades are usually onto the B777 or A330, shorter sectors = more take offs and landings which is what they want you doing after having spent at least 3 yrs as an observer. Although I do know someone who just got upgraded to FO and was given the A340 (not common).

Getting the interview is the hard part. I have been on file with them for 3 yrs now and I update every 4 months. The minimums used to be 1000hrs total time, but with the thousands of applicants they have on file, I guess they have the right to be as picky as they like.

Cheers,
MNC
 
My Aussie pal told me they are very picky as to whom they hire. Sounds like you also have to construct a 747 just to interview! They had labor issues not to long ago when they 'fired' a few pilots without any real just cause but that's a whole other ball of wax....

Go find out about Cathay at www.pprune.org
 
They are quite picky. From what I have been told, the interview procedure is no picnic.

Aerodynamics and systems play a pretty big part in getting through it. Books like Handling the Big Jets and Flying the Big Jets have alot of useful info in them, if you can manage to stay awake while reading them! Try to get hold of a good Meteorology book and know your current aircraft systems inside and out.

If you can get hold of a book called Preparing for your Cathay Pacific Interview, by Captains X,Y and Z, that will provide you with a bunch of great examples of questions they ask during the interview. It also has a good run down of pay scales and even gives you a standard sim profile for the 747-200 you will have to fly should you make it to Hong Kong for stage 2 interview.

For those that dont know PPRuNe well, heres a direct link to PPRuNe Fragrant Harbour Forum
 
Awesome info guys! I really appreciate it!

I had read thier website and saw what they said SO requirements were, they only said 1000hours and that ATPL or Commercal with ATP written. But that is awesome information! I have also looked at thier interview gouge on www.aviationinterviews.com.

I am mostly looking for people's personal experiences and if they know where to get better information than I do. I have just been tossing around the idea of going to Cathay Pacific in the future. I'm also trying to decide if I want to give up a job with a regional in order to go there or if I would likely be hired anyway. It looks like a good company who, if they pay well, could help me pay off my student loans quicker. Paying off my student loans is what I'm worried about the most.

I understand Hong Kong is an expensive place to live, but I would figure that if they are paying for your housing, it wouldn't be horribly bad.

Right now I am 22years old and have just started flight instructing, so I have quite a while before a really need to make a decision, I am just looking for information.

Keep me posted if you find something new!

Thanks...

Marilyn
 
Just looking at that 380000HKD, and doing some research, that comes out to about $48,700. Thats more than I am making as a flight instructor, but not as much as a senior captain at a regional...but to fly the big planes!!!! OH THE DECISIONS!!!

Thanks my Aussie Friends for all your help!
 
No worries mate.
If you need anymore info, ask MNC he seems to know his stuff
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Take it easy, and good luck!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Just looking at that 380000HKD, and doing some research, that comes out to about $48,700. Thats more than I am making as a flight instructor, but not as much as a senior captain at a regional...but to fly the big planes!!!! OH THE DECISIONS!!!


[/ QUOTE ]

Just remember that figure is an approximate figure and also thats your 1st year of seniority in a company that expects you to spend 20+yrs with them. The pay after year one increases quite significantly after that
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always nice when that happens!

Short term, a Captain on an RJ will earn more than a 2nd year S/O with CX, but compare that same RJ Captain to a 15yr pilot with CX. There wont be much of a comparison, longhaul flying brings with it some great monetary benefits.
As always though, it shouldnt just come down to money. Lifestyle plays a huge part with anyone, and in the future, should you have a family etc etc... will your children/family be able to live as comfortably in HK as they would the USA?
Many factors to consider
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Cheers,
MNC
 
These are just the comparisons I was looking for. I am still looking at the website you gave me and getting ideas of what it's like there.

I completely agree with you when you say that it's not all about the money... Lifestyle and family happiness are a big thing. I have been watching my father go through that same conflict lately over what he has missed out on while he was chasing a better retirement, a better house, a better whatever.

As of right now, I'm 22 and single (in a long term relationship with another pilot who would also try to get a job with CX.) My family thinks it would be neat for me to try it.

Also, do you know what they think of female pilots? I noticed under the cadet section of the website they had a girls picture, so I would think they aren't against hiring female pilots. But you never know. Do you think I would be safe in HK by myself?

Thanks for all the information and keep it coming! I can use all the information you give!

Marilyn
 
[ QUOTE ]
Also, do you know what they think of female pilots? I noticed under the cadet section of the website they had a girls picture, so I would think they aren't against hiring female pilots. But you never know. Do you think I would be safe in HK by myself?


[/ QUOTE ]
I have met a couple of female CX pilots and they haven't had any discrimination problems at all. CX are an equal opportunity employer.
HK is a safe city, but like most cities in the world, I'm sure there are areas you should stay away from. HK isn't typical of a chinese city, it is extremely wealthy and very much a western environment/culture. Expats from all around the world live and do business there.

If you have the time/funds, I would suggest spending a few days in HK. When you get an interview with CX, you can tell them you have visited in your own time and you have checked out things like accomodation and also checked on clubs/activites available so you can continue your hobbies... they love hearing that sort of stuff. Plus, they know that having seen the place 1st hand, there won't be a huge culture shock involved if you get the job and move out there.

A large number of pilots live in an area called Discovery Bay, its an area with great new apartments/villas that is out of the city. Thats why it costs alot less to live there and has a very friendly atmosphere to it, I've been told that one of the biggest problems there is... you can't really escape people talking about work because it is likely that your neighbours will probably be flight crew too!

Let me know if you have any more Q's, I'll do my best to answer
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No worries! Thanks for all the info!

As far as a time line goes.. here is my thought..
Currently I am working as a flight instructor for Airline Transport Professionals in Jacksonville, FL. I will be applying for ExpressJet (Continental Express) around 500 hours (I had an internship with them which lowers my hourly requirement to start). I will fly with EXJT and assess my situation and see if I like it there or if I still want to go to CX. I will see if I can use vacation time and cheap employee tickets to get to HK to check it out. But this is just mental planning...

HK doesn't sound too bad... and as far as talking about work all the time... well that's not so bad either. I suppose it would get old after a while, but who knows.

Thanks again for info!
 
Don't forget HK up until a few years ago used to be a UK colony, with a British governor, so it is a very modern, cosmopolitan, westernised kinda city.
 
That's what I have heard. I have heard you can find a Micky D's there as well! I'm sure everything isn't just like home, but I don't think we would feel completely out of place!
 
HA! How 'bout that! How can you be home sick when the one of the things that defines America can be found everywhere?
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Mc Donalds is one of my weaknesses... but I have been good lately and steered clear of there.

Now if there is a Taco Bell there too I would be set!
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