Cathay Pacific Q's

[Bjammin]

You won't be fired. They will give you at least one more chance. After that they will let you stay on as an FO.

The airline has just about as many Captain's as FO/SO's so they have to let a good number of guys upgrade or else the airline will be limited in it's operations because of a lack of Captains.
That does not make for good money making possibilities and the airline is all about making money.

In addition the airline does have a union. It may not have the power of American unions, but the airline does listlen. It has too, they NEED pilots with this expansion going on and guys have many oppertunities elsewhere if they feel they are not well represented.

 

[⌐ FLYER]

"So not being a union company and you bust upgrade. Are you, A fired, or B riding in the right seat the rest of your career?”


“You won't be fired. They will give you at least one more chance. After that they will let you stay on as an FO.”

The person I talked to (quit CP for a US cargo outfit after 4 years at Cathay) said that the “captain interview” is entirely biased and hard to figure out. It’s based on whether they like you or not, not your progression, your checkride history, etc, etc. He mentioned a person who didn't pass the “captain interview” and this person used to be a captain at one of the majors: either TWA or USAir, can’t remember. He was a captain there for several years. In other words the guy was good enough to fly as a captain for a major airline but somehow was not a “captain material” at CP. The worst part is that they do not explain their decision to you, just “sorry you are not accepted into the captain class, please try again in a couple of years.”

Also, if you screw up a checkride, they usually give you a second chance but it’s very unusual you’ll make it thorough. They basically want to get rid of you at that point and the second checkride is just a formality. Every now and then people squeeze through, but they’ll never be offered a captain slot. When he was hired some 4 years ago there were 12 guys in his class, all furloughed from US major airlines. There are only 3 of them left as most were either fired or just quit. This guy was truly happy to leave, he liked the pilots he flew with, said the hotels were great and so were the benefits. However, the constant fear of the training department “boot camp” abuse made his tenure there not enjoyable at all. He never busted a checkride but said he couldn’t wait to bail out.

Again, that’s just his story over several beers; don’t know how accurate it is. However, I was surprised to see someone with 4 year seniority at supposedly one of the finest airlines in the world leave.

 

[iluvetops]

"So not being a union company and you bust upgrade. Are you, A fired, or B riding in the right seat the rest of your career?”


“You won't be fired. They will give you at least one more chance. After that they will let you stay on as an FO.”

The person I talked to (quit CP for a US cargo outfit after 4 years at Cathay) said that the “captain interview” is entirely biased and hard to figure out. It’s based on whether they like you or not, not your progression, your checkride history, etc, etc. He mentioned a person who didn't pass the “captain interview” and this person used to be a captain at one of the majors: either TWA or USAir, can’t remember. He was a captain there for several years. In other words the guy was good enough to fly as a captain for a major airline but somehow was not a “captain material” at CP. The worst part is that they do not explain their decision to you, just “sorry you are not accepted into the captain class, please try again in a couple of years.”

Also, if you screw up a checkride, they usually give you a second chance but it’s very unusual you’ll make it thorough. They basically want to get rid of you at that point and the second checkride is just a formality. Every now and then people squeeze through, but they’ll never be offered a captain slot. When he was hired some 4 years ago there were 12 guys in his class, all furloughed from US major airlines. There are only 3 of them left as most were either fired or just quit. This guy was truly happy to leave, he liked the pilots he flew with, said the hotels were great and so were the benefits. However, the constant fear of the training department “boot camp” abuse made his tenure there not enjoyable at all. He never busted a checkride but said he couldn’t wait to bail out.

Again, that’s just his story over several beers; don’t know how accurate it is. However, I was surprised to see someone with 4 year seniority at supposedly one of the finest airlines in the world leave.

Unfortunately and sad.... IT'S ALL VERY TRUE

 

[ACT700]

".......... In other words the guy was good enough to fly as a captain for a major airline but somehow was not a “captain material” at CP. tenure there not enjoyable at all. He never busted a checkride but said he couldn’t wait to bail out.

....

Reading that, sounds to me like his problems were purely, american, if you get my drift.

 

[Fliteidol]

The air is very different in HK and Europe, airplanes fly according to a whole new set of principals Bernoulli kept very secret! We Americans just dont` get it!

 

[Bjammin]

There is a little anti-Americaism for sure, but if you look at the process we use to get an ATP and the process they have to go through, I can understand it a little. However, we just had a North American guy upgrade to the left seat of the 744 after being here for less then 2 years. I fly with American captains all the time, some in their early thirties. I don't know of too many airlines where the captain of a 744 flying across the Pacific is 32 years old.

And to be truthful, alot of American guys come to Cathay with a 'tude. It's NOT an American airline, but if you like to work for an airline that makes tonns of cash, has an extreamly bright future, is expanding BIG TIME, and has very good pay, benefits, time off, and six weeks of vacation a year as a newhire then Cathay is worth a look.

They took me, a guy that never has flown an airliner before, no glass, autopilot, or FMS experience, and all single pilot time and got me through training. Let's just say I had some MAJOR difficulties, but they worked with me every step of the way. They gave me all the practice I needed, time off in training, extra IOE, and were extreamly helpful and considerate. Now i'm right seat with a type rating on the 744 out of LAX.

I feel like I have more loyalty then most, but rightly so. I will be here very happily for life.

 

[landlover]

bjammin were you hired as an FO or as an SO? I'd really like to work at Cathay, should I hold out till I meet the FO mins(might be 2 years from now) or try to get hired as an SO?

 

[⌐ FLYER]

"we just had a North American guy upgrade"

Is this your code word for a Canadian?

Also, like I said many things I've heard about CP sound great and I wish you good luck and hope you'll like it there 5 and 10 years down the road.

 

[ACT700]

At least the anti-american attitude or deal, or whatever you want to call it, is a known fact.
So going into it you know you have that against you. Again, like any aviation job any where in the world: IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT- DON'T DO IT!

People (Pilots, myself included) sometimes forget that nobody is putting a gun to our heads to work for a particular company.
This career is what you make of it.
I, for one, am quite content with the given conditions. I'm willing to give it a shot. Hopefully it all works out in the long run.

 

[Bjammin]

I was hired as an FO.

I have about the least amount of experience of an FO I know to have been interviewed let alone hired.

As yes, the guy that upgraded was a Canadian.