Cathay Cargo Questions - Atlanta Base

[Cpt. Underpants]

Interesting question. Why would you want to know?

 

[rhinodriver]

ASL no more

Capt U,

How about you, do you fly freighter trips?

As of next week (probably Monday) everybody flys freight.

Plus we're all gettin' a raise wether we want it or not...

 

[Little Bubba]

As of next week (probably Monday) everybody flys freight.

Plus we're all gettin' a raise wether we want it or not...

It's not gonna affect you too much since Fedex will start hiring again in -08.

 

[skyward80]

I'm under the impression that pilots flying cargo at US bases cannot upgrade to the left seat without spending a few years in HKG on the pax fleet. Is it possible to start at a US base (after training of course) and stay at a US base and still move to the left seat?

Thanks for the info!
Skyward80

 

[Cpt. Underpants]

In a word, yes. More specifically, the upgrade process is unlke anything you've ever experinced and the failure rate is very high. The HKCAD doesn't interest itself in failures, only procedure and product.

Many arive here bright-eyed and bushy-tailed only to fall foul of the tedious processes, eventually retreating back to the USA and some other trash-hauler.

2 resignations off the freighter last week, and I was told another 6 to go this week. Something to do with US Air's final recall.

 

[skyward80]

Capt U:

So, what's the "special ingredient" that a few years on the pax fleet as an FO will give you in order to succeed in upgrade? Or is it just a box the training department likes to see checked?

Also, with regard to the folks that are failing, what kind of stuff are they failing for? Do you know how high the failure rate is? If you're willing to risk the fail, is it possible to upgrade without basing out of HKG?

Thanks for the info!

Skyward80

 

[Cpt. Underpants]

I've never looked at it that way, but exposure to more regional destinations and ports other than ANC and points East will do you a world of good. Moreover, you'll see more legs (not a bad thing), more complex RT, more exposure to different nationalities and a more demanding operation overall. If all you've flown is in the US and A, then your exposure (for Cathay) is limited and you'll need a lot more in your arsenal to deal with a command course here. I would suggest that with 2200+ hours you're: 1. Not in the running for a command (you're short of time) and 2. Not likely to have what Cathay needs at this time. It's not an appointment into a seat at CX. You're carrying the company's AOC and they take it seriously.

There are always three sides to a fail - the candidates story, the checkers' story and finally - what really happened. Failures are always justified, but no-one wants to see it happen. There's too much invested in your time and training to fail you on a whim.

Don't look at the upgrade process as something you'll just try and see if it works out. That's a sure passage to a failure. To boot, a failure is a huge monkey on your back and stays on your training file for ever, and will haunt you for years later. Very few who flunk the upgrade actually make it through the second time - due to (self-induced) psych pressures. Numbers? Probably a 10% to 20% failure rate on the pax fleet, dependent on the type (777 is lower, A330 is higher) but the freighter would average 40% or more at times. It seems to be improving about now, but turnover on the F is high, due to long patterns, inadequate salary and the training/upgrade issues.

 

[Trash8Mofo]

How do you guys pick your trips and day offs? Are the line pilots pretty laid back, or run an intense cockpit in general? (I know its different from person to person, but there are some companie's cockpit philosophies that are more intense than others.)
Are there notable differences b/w the frighter and the pax as far as how the cockpit is ran? Thx

 

[Little Bubba]

Capt U,

Why is the failure rate higher on the Airbus than the 777?

TrashU,

No, most guys are very laid back, even Capt U.

 

[skyward80]

Cpt U:

Thanks for the detailed response! That fills in a lot of blank spots for me. Without a doubt, the CX threads seem to be the most informative on this forum.

Skyward80