Cathay

[PimpJuice]

Looking for some gouge on Cathay. Any place to find there pay scale on the web? Also, do you have to move to HK to eventually fly pax or can you stay on the cargo side here for a few years and switch over?

 

[TheDonger]

"Fragrant Harbour" forums on Pprune.com

http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=100

They just hired some US Airways pilots in the past few months. From what I've heard via the grapevine you can switch over from freight to pax after three years. I've heard that one must move to HKG in the beginning of changing over the pax fleet. You can bid out to one of the U.S. bases (LAX, SFO) once you are senior enough. There's also Vancouver too. Good luck!

 

[Hair-on-Fire]

Tons of information using the search function.

Hey Bjammin! How you liking it over there at Cathay?

 

[Bjammin]

You can fly PAX out of the states for as long as you want after your three year tour on the freighter. The PAX bases are LAX and SFO. Freighter bases are ANC, ORD, JFK, and LAX. ATL and DAL are going to be online ports in November, but bases? No one seems to know.

 

[Bjammin]

WOW, we both typed at the same time! Funny.
I love it here! I've been flying PAX and freight for the past 2 months. Both are great. Just got back from a BKK, SIN trip. 27 hours in BKK will make anyone smile. I'll be moving to San Diego next week and will be flying out of LAX. I have 18 days off in SEP, not bad.
Cathay is still hiring like mad. Come on over and taste the noodles.

 

[TheDonger]

Bjammin, cool!
You're the envy of many because Cathay is such a great company to work for. Congrats!

 

[eatme]

How 'bout some kool-aid to go with those noodles

 

[Hair-on-Fire]

WOW, we both typed at the same time! Funny.
I love it here! I've been flying PAX and freight for the past 2 months. Both are great. Just got back from a BKK, SIN trip. 27 hours in BKK will make anyone smile. I'll be moving to San Diego next week and will be flying out of LAX. I have 18 days off in SEP, not bad.
Cathay is still hiring like mad. Come on over and taste the noodles.

That's great. Congratulations. I ended up having to cancel my Cathay interview last spring when JBLU offered an interview. Both were on working days, and figured I could only use the last minute family emergency once

Working for Cathay sounds like an adventure. Good luck.

 

[TheDonger]

How 'bout some kool-aid to go with those noodles

Jealous are we?

 

[Bjammin]

So far so good. Alot of guys have issues with working for a foreign airline. I 'm here to tell you the water tastes good in Hong Kong. We have record loads both PAX and Cargo, made a huge profit even with the fuel costs, are getting new airplanes every month, and are hiring like mad. Getting into the right seat of a 747-400 and flying to places like Bangkok and Singapore as a first airline job doesn't stink.
The downsides are being away from home for 5 months of training, a little North American bashing from the Aussies and Brits, and having to move to Hong Kong to really get your career moving.
To each his own, but with all that is happening with the Chinese economy I truly believe this is the place to be in the airline business right now.

 

[PimpJuice]

thanks for the info. if you move straight to HK, do you fly pax right away or still stay cargo? also, is it better to due your time there right away or go later? how's the coin? thanks! i had a blast over there on port calls and could probably live there for a stretch.

 

[Bjammin]

If you get picked up for FO you will based on the frighter out of the states to start. If you get Second Officer you will be based in HK on the PAX fleet. Each have advantages. The pay is great, about 72K to start not including the cash per diem, which during training is in the 3.5K range and about $150.00 per night away from home.

 

[PimpJuice]

thanks for the gouge. final question. what's a ballpark figure for hours as far as getting in as a FO vs SO. i'll be applying with aprox. 2300 TT, 1200 PIC (about 1500 off all that multi). gracias!

 

[Kenny]

Unofficial mins, "officially" from the ladies in flightcrew recruitment are 3000TT/1000 Turbine for SO's. Over 5500TT and around 4500 Turbine for FO's.

I know Bjammin had a lot less but he was either extremely lucky or they took into account the military time.

Either way the trick is to apply and keep re-applying every 6 months. When I went in for my 1st interview they had a list of all the dates I'd updated my application. And like they said it is EXTREMELY competitive right now.

 

[Bjammin]

When I applied for FO I had 2500HRS Turbine and about 2K of that was PIC. Only about 900HRS Multi-engine turbine PIC in the EA-6B. I had 8 or 9 squadron mates get interviews with about the same amount of time as me. All T-45A instructors with F-18/14, AV-8B, or similar. Some got to the second interview with both good and bad results, some went with SWA before the second, some didn't make it at all. Most all I know that applied have been called for the FO position.
My dates were:

Applied MAR 03

Update NOV 03

Called APR 04

1ST interview MAY 04

2nd AUG 04

called for APR 05 Class date in FEB 05

I think the times have been compressed quite a bit since then.

The gouge seems to be have a good amount of PIC jet time, update often, study ALOT of technical stuff and about the company before the 1st interview, get some 747 sime time before the 2nd interview, and drink the beer the big wigs keep buying you at the cocktail party.