While in training at Cathay Pacific, I am staying in their own hotel, the Headland. The Headland Hotel is nice, but is sure isn’t home. They have just put out a lot of Christmas decorations in the lobbies to help those of us who celebrate the holidays feel a little bit better. There is actually a lot of the Christmas spirit and decorations around Hong Kong. Even though Buddhism remains the major religion of China, there seems to be no problem celebrating Christmas here. However, I’ve been told that Hong Kong won’t pass up any chance to celebrate a holiday or cash in on the secular side of the Christmas spirit. After all, Hong Kong is the beacon of capitalism here just south of Beijing.
It is nice to see that the hotel has put up Christmas trees with Angels on the tops of them. I have become so used to the ridiculous American culture that is full of political correctness and that is constantly afraid of offending someone, that I was startled to see Angels in this somewhat public place. There are many things the U.S. could learn from the Chinese and one thing is remembering that Christmas is a Christian holiday. Americans can’t even put up a tree in a mall for fear of offending some religious group, but over here, it seems like the Angels are no big deal. And why wouldn’t they be? At least the Headland hotel has the sense that too many of us Americans don’t have: it’s a Christian holiday, put up Christian decorations.
I desperately want to spend Christmas at home with Laura there in Groveport, Ohio. I currently have a week off around Christmas, but that will be subject to how well training goes. I have a performance check on the 19th and 20th (keep those days in prayer?) and if I pass them, then I get to go home. If I don’t do as well as they want me to, then I get to stay here and do a few more trips until I am up to speed. Every trainee gets a minimum of 25 flights in training and some need more and some need less. I’ve had a long, stressful time trying to learn this 747 and the way Cathay wants it to be flown. My flying background is a 50 seat regional jet and transitioning to this large plane that carries 400 people across the Pacific Ocean has been a challenge, to say the least. Currently, there is about a 40% failure rate on the progress checks. But, as my sister pointed out, that’s a 60% pass rate!
So, we’ll see. I want to do well, but I need to not get too down on myself if I need more training. I would guess that some of that is a small ego-pride thing, but really, I just want to be finished with training and get home to my wife for Christmas. That is the end goal, and after nearly six months in training, the Lord knows I’m ready to be home. Here is the tree that Laura put up in our living room back home. I want to be with her in front of that tree so bad that it hurts. We’ll have to see how everything goes.
Hey, Christmas in Hong Kong can’t be too bad, right . . . ?
Click the picture at the top for more pictures of the Headland.
Kind of reminds me of Christmas in Vietnam, Bud. Believe me, the sweetness of your return will be greatly enhanced by the long time you’ve been away. THAT kind of sweetness can only be known by those who’ve been on the other side of the world on those special holidays. It will be worth it!!
Maybe the manager of the Headland is a follower of Christ, or perhaps at least the person in charge of decorations. Even if not believers, these folks have the advantage of knowing what the Christmas story really is (who would want to offend a paying customer of the Christian faith?) and wanting to get it right. And boy, what a place the angels have in that story! Maybe your guardian angel was in that chorus on that very special night!! I’m sure they’ll have some stories to tell us one day future!
Hey Toby,
Are you still headed to CX’s cargo operation? It sounds as if all your training is being done on passenger flights…just curious. It is pure CRAZINESS how long you’ve been in training.
Hope the performance checks go well…
Thanks Eugene — crazy timelines don’t even begin to describe the time away from home or the fire hose unleashed on me! I keep telling myself that it will all be worth it soon.
By the way, the Freighter and the Pax planes operate the same way, so because most of the training is done out of HKG, where most of the PAX planes operate, I get a lot of Pax flying. Once I’m in JFK, it will be mostly freighter, however, as a unified scale for both pax and frtr, I’ll probably see a good mix, until the pax -400 get sold or demoted to frtrs.
I hope RAH has been treating you well . . .
Toby,
how did you manage to get JFK as a base? I guess what I am trying to ask is how do they decide on a new hire’s base airport?
Good luck on your checkrides and happy holidays! I hope you’ll be able to go home soon!
I just stumbled onto this website and from reading your entries, I have a newfound respect for pilots. Knowing the number of exams and linechecks as well as the stress that you have to go through, never again will I regard pilots as overpaid and underworked glorified bus drivers. Have a Merry Christmas!
Anon– glad you enjoy the blog.
Bart– Cathay has several U.S. bases and JFK is probably one of the most junior, so that is where I was placed first. It’s junior because if one doesn’t live near the city, it’s hard to get to and expensive to buy a hotel for the night . . . Are you job hunting?
Happy Holidays to all.
Toby,
Yes I would love to pursue a career with Cathay – just like you it started when I was a little boy, staring in awe of this beautiful big metal Cathay bird.
That’s why I love reading your blog. As a happily married US regional pilot I have so many questions and insecurities with actually taking the steps. Your writing is starting to shape a better picture of what to expect. You see, I even hate leaving home for a 4 day trip in my current job. Nevertheless, part of that is because I only have 12 days off on average in one month (I’m sure you were in that boat).
I wasn’t aware it was actually “easy” to get a US base. I just assumed a new hire would be based in HK. Exactly when in the process do they notify you of your base?
In addition, if you applied for a First Officer position and you get hired, is there a chance you will be put in a Second Officer position based on operational need?
And is there a chance they base you in HK when you upgrade?
Sorry for all these questions, I’ll leave it at this for now 🙂
Thx!
Bart, good questions. Send me an e-mail at my address here and I’ll try to help you out with answers.