Cathy Pacific questions

[poydras]

Hired last year TT 3900
500 pic turbine (RJ)

 

[johnsonrod]

Update questions...

What's the latest with Cathay? I realize hiring may not start for awhile. I do have some questions:

1. It has been stated that you could get hired onto any fleet and fly out of any US domicile. So, given that only 777 and 744 aircraft serve the US market, what would the schedule of an ATL-based 777 pilot, for example, look like (I don't believe 777s are used to serve ATL - only 744Fs)? Would you be repositioned to a city served by 777s and start from there?

2. On average, what are junior pilots (newhires) seeing in terms of days off per month?

3. Do US based pilots get much flying beyond Hong Kong internationally? For example, would a US pilot get any Australia, Europe or Middle East flying or just fly back and forth to Hong Kong from the US?

4. If you start on the 744, how long before you would be bumped to the 777 given the growth of that fleet? I would enjoy either fleet...

PMs are welcome.

 

[twobits]

Hiring may not start until 2011 or 2012, if then. CX may not have DEFO positions anymore so you would start at SO in Hong Kong for 36 months. Judging by your stated flight time, you are not competitive for an SO position now. There are no 777 pilots based in ATL - and I would imagine there never will be in the forseeable future, although Bjammin should know more- ATL is not a One World port or a viable destination. Additionally, the schedule for an ATL based FO on the 747-400 is something like one 9 day trip and one 5 day trip a month on average. 9 days is long. Most importantly, there are no vacant positions available in ATL, and probably will not be for a long time. US based pilots flying on the passenger base generally fly to Hong Kong and back - occasionally but seldom is anything else rostered - so if you like Hong Kong and staying at the company hotel called the Headland hotel then that would be good for you. You never will cross more than 12 time zones in a single duty cycle for good reason, so from ATL or JFK, you will not be going any further west.

Time off depends on how much special 'voluntary' leave you are expected to take - 3 weeks a year currently for FO's due to overstaffing and 4 weeks for Captain. That is unpaid leave. Upgrade to Captain is being extended out to about 16 years, and that is with a little hope thrown in. Probably more like 18 years; and in the future you will have to move to Hong Kong to upgrade to CN.

If you start on the 744 right now, you probably would not swap to the 777 for a long time - CX does not like to waste money on silly things like conversions, or upholding seniority (and they don't). You could probably commute to LAX and be on the 777 - but SFO will continue using the 747-4. JFK is only a 747 freight base - again, bad rosters. 777 good, 747-400 bad for schedules - both are shiny new jets though.

If ATL is home, then CX is a really far place to work - and if you ever want to go anywhere on your own airline, you have to buy a ZED fare just to get to a CX port to go to Hong Kong and eventually end up where you wanted to be for vacation, and the ticket isn't anywhere close to free!

 

[blade230]

What's the latest with Cathay? I realize hiring may not start for awhile. I do have some questions:

1. It has been stated that you could get hired onto any fleet and fly out of any US domicile. So, given that only 777 and 744 aircraft serve the US market, what would the schedule of an ATL-based 777 pilot, for example, look like (I don't believe 777s are used to serve ATL - only 744Fs)? Would you be repositioned to a city served by 777s and start from there?

"IF" you were offered a DEFO position (if your profile flt. time and arcft. ratings are correct, you would NOT be competitive) you could be assigned either arcft. Depends on which base they need people. The junior North American bases are LAX (both pax/freight) and JFK (only freight). ATL is not very senior, but it is not that junior either. Plus the base is TINY. CX will not position you to your base. That is up to you if you decide to commute. The only time they will position you is if they want you to operate out of another base other than your own.

2. On average, what are junior pilots (newhires) seeing in terms of days off per month?

Again, depends on fleet. If you get pax B777 slot, about 18-19 days off a month. If you get a freight only B744 base, about 14-16 days off a month.

3. Do US based pilots get much flying beyond Hong Kong internationally? For example, would a US pilot get any Australia, Europe or Middle East flying or just fly back and forth to Hong Kong from the US?

Depends, once again, on fleet. On the B777, yes, guys are getting regional patterns out of HKG. INLCUDING some patterns that are more than 12 hours from base time zone. There is currently an exemption for it.As for the freigher 744, not really unless for a line check.

4. If you start on the 744, how long before you would be bumped to the 777 given the growth of that fleet? I would enjoy either fleet...

Depends on base. LAX could be very quick. ATL/JFK would be never. SFO would be about 2 years probably.

PMs are welcome.

As for SLS (special leave scheme), it is NOT an ongoing thing. Those that agreed to do it (not everyone did) will do it ONLY once. For SO's it was 2 weeks unpaid leave, for FO's 3 weeks unpaid leave, and for CA's it was 4 weeks unpaid leave.

Hope this helps.

 

[johnsonrod]

twobits and blade230,

Thanks for the great info. I have heard good and bad about CX. Obviously the ability to fly internationally and still live in the US is a major plus - unlike Emirates or QR. I realize Korean and some of the JAL/ANA contracts also allow the ability to live in the US.

Just curious about ATL (I don't live there) given that I know 777s don't serve that location - only 744Fs. It was more of a hypothetical question.

BTW, my profile is at least 5 years old and it doesn't reflect my real flight time... I have been flying my ERJ for many years and I am always looking for alternatives (when operators are hiring of course).

 

[twobits]

If you decide on CX, plan to live in Hong Kong for 5 years before being based in the US. Not a bad place to live, but is hot and rainy in the summer. CX pays for your housing because otherwise nobody would live in Hong Kong.

 

[uspilot]

Hiring may not start until 2011 or 2012, if then. CX may not have DEFO positions anymore so you would start at SO in Hong Kong for 36 months. Judging by your stated flight time, you are not competitive for an SO position now. There are no 777 pilots based in ATL - and I would imagine there never will be in the forseeable future, although Bjammin should know more- ATL is not a One World port or a viable destination. Additionally, the schedule for an ATL based FO on the 747-400 is something like one 9 day trip and one 5 day trip a month on average. 9 days is long. Most importantly, there are no vacant positions available in ATL, and probably will not be for a long time. US based pilots flying on the passenger base generally fly to Hong Kong and back - occasionally but seldom is anything else rostered - so if you like Hong Kong and staying at the company hotel called the Headland hotel then that would be good for you. You never will cross more than 12 time zones in a single duty cycle for good reason, so from ATL or JFK, you will not be going any further west.

Time off depends on how much special 'voluntary' leave you are expected to take - 3 weeks a year currently for FO's due to overstaffing and 4 weeks for Captain. That is unpaid leave. Upgrade to Captain is being extended out to about 16 years, and that is with a little hope thrown in. Probably more like 18 years; and in the future you will have to move to Hong Kong to upgrade to CN.

If you start on the 744 right now, you probably would not swap to the 777 for a long time - CX does not like to waste money on silly things like conversions, or upholding seniority (and they don't). You could probably commute to LAX and be on the 777 - but SFO will continue using the 747-4. JFK is only a 747 freight base - again, bad rosters. 777 good, 747-400 bad for schedules - both are shiny new jets though.

If ATL is home, then CX is a really far place to work - and if you ever want to go anywhere on your own airline, you have to buy a ZED fare just to get to a CX port to go to Hong Kong and eventually end up where you wanted to be for vacation, and the ticket isn't anywhere close to free!

Thanks for the great info...but has CX publish this info that they will not hire until 2011-2012 and that they are moving away from hiring DEFO. Once again thanks for taking time and answering our questions.

 

[twobits]

CX has not directly published this information. However - here are a few items of information that may help you in making your own prediction for future hiring at CX.

1st - SO's are likely about to get the Bypass pay and the promotion they should have had a long time ago. The company is not going to keep these pilots as SO, when they can upgrade them and have more flexibility for the same price. ie - no more DEFO.

2nd - Retirement age just increased from 55 to 65

3rd - Every CX pilot was asked to take voluntary leave this year averaging over 3 weeks per pilot

4th - flight time limitations changes may allow CX to schedule 3 man Ultra long haul from Hong Kong to Europe. That is 25% fewer pilots on all passenger european flights!

plug that into your computer and see what you get! Not to mention the fact there are Cadet SO's already in Adelaide with a seniority number waiting to start in HKG.

 

[twobits]

Forgot to mention that in the latest base vacancy bid, there are zero positions available for any US bases. There will be pent up demand for current pilots in HKG who want to be based, which will delay any hiring in the US even further. Hong Kong will always be available though.

 

[Flyby1206]

Great info guys, it looks like a looong time until hiring ramps back up. I guess expansion isnt something on the table with the economy barely starting to recover. Fingers crossed for 2011!