Cathay Pacific

[chris]

Thanks again for the feedback MNC!

One other thing I was wondering.... how do the tech questions from the 1st interview differ from the 2nd? It sounds like the 2nd one is more intense. Did they have a/c models of the 747 or 340 and have you identify the engines, differences between a/c, etc during the 1st or 2nd?

I know in the past most questions were based on the 744 (i.e. discuss the RB211s, fuel management system on the 744, etc); however, did they ask you tech questions about the 340 or 777?

[SBI]

Originally Posted by Minima-No-Contact

Thanks for the comments guys!

All of what has been said above is correct. The advertised minimums to get an interview are purely that - 'minimums'... I have been applying for 8-9yrs and got a go when I had over 4000hrs and a bunch of jet time.

Even though I qualified to have a shot at Direct Entry F/O, I decided to pass because that is a freighter gig and I want to live in Hong Kong and fly the pax fleet. So S/O was it for me, I got the A340. They are however, doing alot of recruitment for the 777, as they have 18 777 ERs on order. Exciting times!

Upgrade times to FO seem to be around the 2.5yr mark. Guys in the past have had to wait up to 4.5yrs but now is the time to strike at CX (IMHO) if you want to enjoy a couple of yrs in the jump, then move straight onto a A330 or B777 in the window seat.

If anyone has any questions feel free to post or PM me. If anyone is specifically interested in the process I went through, I will post my experiences in detail - just let me know.
Cheers,
MNC

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a SO on a two-men cockpit? Isn't SO the FE?

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by SBI

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a SO on a two-men cockpit? Isn't SO the FE?

SO=Second officer!

As an SO, I believe you would pretty much just watch things in the cockpit and maybe sit right seat while the captain and FO are sleeping.

Not sure if you get to do takeoff's and landings. Me thinks not.

[Minima-No-Contact]

Here is an example of the type of Questions I was asked during both interviews. In the 2nd interview, there was a B744 model on the desk, other guys had an Airbus, some had both.

Stage one:
HR
- Tell us about yourself
- Why Cathay?
- Why not just stay in Australia and fly for a national carrier?
- Tell us about your current job, what do are your responsibilities when you arrive?
- What don’t you like about your current job?
- High points of your career?
- Any emergencies? And anything you would do differently looking back?
- Where about in North America does Cathay fly?
- Current Cathay fleet numbers and orders
- How many aircraft and staff does my current employer have?
- What will you do in your spare time in Hong Kong?
- How will your lifestyle change?
- How many people live in Hong Kong?
- Have any significant things happened at Cathay in the last 12 months?
- Who else have you applied too? What if they offered you a job the same time we did?

TECH
- Explain the hydraulic system in your current aircraft
- We then discussed a hydraulic failure, implications and considerations
- What do you know about typhoons?
- What happens to air pressure and temperature above a typhoon, and what would happen to your aircraft performance above a typhoon?
- Considerations for departing or arriving in severe weather like a typhoon?
- Talked about the differences between warm and cold fronts
- Which way do the pressure systems (High/Low) rotate in the Sthn/Nthn Hemisphere?
- Types of aquaplaning? What is the formula for working out the speed your aircraft will actually aquaplane on a wet runway?

Ended with them asking if I had any Questions for them.

Stage two:
HR
A lot of repeated questions from round one, only this time they seemed to press on with it a bit further
- Why Cathay?
- Have you interviewed with any other airlines recently?
- Who have you applied too? What if they offered you a job at the same time we did?
- Why would you want to live in Hong Kong?
- How will you adapt, being away from family and friends?
- Do your parents support your move?
- What is your relationship with your parents?
- If there is one characteristic about yourself that you’d change, what is it?
- How many Cathay pilots do we have?
- Where do you think Cathay is headed over the next 10yrs?
- Are you single/married/partner?
- What don’t you like about your current employer?
- Tell us about the job you had before the last one
- Do you know who the current Manager of Flight Ops is at Cathay?
- Are you bonded to your current employer? Can you afford to pay it out if we offer you a job?
- What are the main nationalities of our pilots at Cathay?

TECH
He started by second guessing a few of my answers from HR, just to push me to see if I’d change the answers I think. Then moved onto the following questions which seemed to be discussion points that lead into other questions, rather than quick answer type questions.

- This model of the 744 has swept wing, why?
- Tell me about why swept wing aircraft actually allows the aircraft to fly faster
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of pod mounted engines versus rear mounted engines?
- Tell me about a deep stall?
- What happens to the engines with all turbulent air entering the engines? Auto-ignition etc…
- Tell me about the engines on your aircraft
- Tell me what the MTOW / MLW / MZFW of your current aircraft is?
- What type of flaps and leading edge devices does the 744 have?
- Tell me about a balanced field calculation, what are the considerations?
- Why does screen-height reduce with a wet rwy? What is the definition of screen height?
- Talk about a RTO on a wet runway, what parts of the runway can be used to stop? Ie – discussed stopway/clearways etc.
- Rate your simulator assessment you just did out of 10?
- Wet runway consideration, what is the best way of slowing an aircraft initially? Reversers, brakes or spoilers?
- What speed does your current aircraft aquaplane at? How did you figure that speed out?
- What is worse, aquaplaning during landing or takeoff?
- While you are climbing at a constant IAS, what happens to MACH and TAS?
- At IAS/MACH change-over, what happens to IAS and TAS when maintaining a constant MACH in the climb?

It ended with them asking if I had any questions for them again, then we wrapped up and I got to go and de-stress!

S/O: Second Officer, cruise relief pilot - required for ultra longhaul flying. Fully type rated position, and will fly the sim with the same required results as a F/O but will not get to be in control of the aircraft in the takeoff or landing.

Hope some of the info helps guys,
Cheers!