Cathay Pacific's latest Cadet Pilots earn their wings
Cathay Pacific Airways yesterday presented "wings" to the latest batch of Hong Kong graduates from the airlines' Cadet Pilot Programme to join the airline as working junior pilots. Theirs was the last of three groups to join Cathay Pacific this year.
The airline has trained about 200 Hong Kong pilots since it created the cadet programme in 1988. In 2004, Cathay Pacific plans to recruit more than 40 candidates for three more cadet pilot classes. Each course takes 60 weeks to complete and costs the airline about HK$1 million for every student enrolled. Some of the earliest graduates from the programme have recently made the rank of Captain.
Interest in the Cadet Pilot Programme has risen recently, in part due to excitement over the TVB drama series Triumph in the Skies, set against the backdrop of a fictional Hong Kong airline. Cathay Pacific provided the programme's makers with access and technical insights to give added reality to the show.
Cathay Pacific is also playing a major role at this weekend's Aviation Days at the old Kai Tak airport celebrating 100 years of powered flight. The Aviation Days are open to the public from 10am to 5pm on 13 and 14 December.
Cathay Pacific General Manager Corporate Communication Alan Wong said: "Air transport plays a vital role in Hong Kong, bringing tourists and business travellers and shipping goods to the four corners of the world. Cathay Pacific is proud of the role it has played in Hong Kong's development for more than 50 years, and through initiatives such as our Cadet Pilot Programme will continue to invest in the city's future."
