The Journey Begins

I finally got around to sending off an application to Cathay Pacific. The date was March 6, 2007. I'm going to keep track of how long it takes to get an interview and or get a job there. Cathay would be my number 3 choice as to where I spend my career. Numbers 1 and 2 are UPS and Fed-Ex. I don't really see myself as a passenger pilot, but if I were to fly pax, then Cathay or Southwest would be where I'd want to work.

My main reasons for choosing the companies that I want to work for are 1. Stability in the market place. 2. Quality of life 3. Pay 4. Benefits/Retirement packages. 5. World wide route structures (Except WN)

With the airlines being as fragile as they are, I want to work for companies that are going to be around for the next 50 years. I want my family to have some sort of stability in an otherwise unstable working environment. I'd hate to be a mainline captain who has flown for an airline for 30 years only to come upon retirement and see the airline crumble and your pension disappear. TWA, Eastern, Pan Am and United (pensions) come to mind. There are more failed airlines out there than corrupt politicians (and that a lot). I've come to realize that my retirement is going to be self funded. I cannot rely on a company for a pension nor the government for social security. That being said, my 4 choices for places to work have the best retirement packages and chance for longevity out of all air carriers.

Quality of life has become an important issue to me lately. As of this current moment in space and time, my quality of life is around 10%. My current job has me away from my family 24-25 days a month. I only see Erin and Jack 6 days a month. 6 very short days. My job leaves me with a home life that is almost non-existent. During my 12 day rotations, I am away from home for 2 weeks and only go home for 2 days. This is what drops my QOL to such a low level. If I were a single guy and didn't really care too much about a home life, I wouldn't mind as much. But I want to be home with my family, not sitting in a hotel half way across the country for 12 days in a row. This is by far the worst schedule I will ever work with. Never again will I subject my family to such a crappy schedule and poor home life. But this is the price I have to pay for a decent paycheck and the golden nugget of quick PIC Turbine time.

After paying my dues at my current company, I can expect a large bump in pay. I make enough to get by now, but after a few years with any of the other aforementioned airlines, I'll be making more than enough to get by. I'll make enough to be able to support my family and meet my financial goals. The most important being the ability to pay for Jack's and any other siblings he may have (2 more if it were up to Erin) college educations. If you want an idea of what pilots at Cathay make, check this out.

So while I meet the current requirements for a Second Officer (auto pilot babysitter) position, I'm about 99% sure I wont get an interview until I tack on another 1000 hours and some PIC turbine to my resume'. I'm a lot closer to getting a job with Cathay than I am to Fed-Ex or UPS. They both want 1000 PIC turbine and would want to see some "heavy jet" time, meaning MD-11, DC-10, A300, A330, DC-8 etc. This means another step in the ladder after I get done with my current company. Besides, as with most aviation jobs, its all who you know, not what you know, that will get you an interview. I need to get out and meet some more pilots from these companies.

Of course who's to say in the next few years I wont stumble upon a golden corporate job or something better, but for now, I'm steering my career in the direction of these companies.