Bjammin has great information and do listen to him -
My husband is on his last leg on his second (and hopefully final) check ride as I type this. I also just returned from Hong Kong last night and can say that after 10 years of hell with Comair, Cathay is truly a class act. We are going to be based in ANC (by choice) and his schedule is 3/4 three day trips (ANC - HK with 24 hour layover - HK), giving him more than 21 days off a month. Pay for US freighter is currently lower than PAX, as mentioned, however they are loosing guys over this and are working on making Cargo and Pax more even. Even with that, they give 15% of your pay for you to invest in 401K yourself, so having over 6400 a month to start is not bad at all. While in training and while in overnights at HK, you receive an envelope with perdiem which covers more than you would ever need and most guys just pocket the rest..Medical insurance is also AWESOME !! (no co-pays, even for drugs)
One thing to keep in mind - they have recently changed their training and now it is all done in half the time with the same information crammed into you, so the fail rate is climbing. My husband has always been top of his class at everything with flying and will tell all that training is like no other. It is VERY VERY hard and you are left to learn most of the book work on your own. They dont just judge your flying skills, they look at EVERYTHING (your calls, when they are said, how they are said, how you touch the control panel, your seat positioning etc etc)
Remember the big picture - Cathay is buying airlines and airplanes left and right and now flys all over China which is where all the money in the world is. They have never furloughed a pilot and probably never will. If you are looking for job security, look no further.. After spending 3 yrs flying cargo, you can go to HK and give your kids some of the best education their (CX's) money can buy AND your home is on them as well..
Just my two cents
P.S. If your tired of peanuts and pretzels, their food is also GREAT!!
My husband is on his last leg on his second (and hopefully final) check ride as I type this. I also just returned from Hong Kong last night and can say that after 10 years of hell with Comair, Cathay is truly a class act. We are going to be based in ANC (by choice) and his schedule is 3/4 three day trips (ANC - HK with 24 hour layover - HK), giving him more than 21 days off a month. Pay for US freighter is currently lower than PAX, as mentioned, however they are loosing guys over this and are working on making Cargo and Pax more even. Even with that, they give 15% of your pay for you to invest in 401K yourself, so having over 6400 a month to start is not bad at all. While in training and while in overnights at HK, you receive an envelope with perdiem which covers more than you would ever need and most guys just pocket the rest..Medical insurance is also AWESOME !! (no co-pays, even for drugs)
One thing to keep in mind - they have recently changed their training and now it is all done in half the time with the same information crammed into you, so the fail rate is climbing. My husband has always been top of his class at everything with flying and will tell all that training is like no other. It is VERY VERY hard and you are left to learn most of the book work on your own. They dont just judge your flying skills, they look at EVERYTHING (your calls, when they are said, how they are said, how you touch the control panel, your seat positioning etc etc)
Remember the big picture - Cathay is buying airlines and airplanes left and right and now flys all over China which is where all the money in the world is. They have never furloughed a pilot and probably never will. If you are looking for job security, look no further.. After spending 3 yrs flying cargo, you can go to HK and give your kids some of the best education their (CX's) money can buy AND your home is on them as well..
Just my two cents
P.S. If your tired of peanuts and pretzels, their food is also GREAT!!
