SIA pilots and stewardesses

[jencrs]

SIA cargo is now independant and they do not receive new batch of cadets already. i was told that they have been made a separate department for now. those who were previously trained under cargo have all done their conversion into the main fleet, flying the 777 and some on the 747. a genuine source from a person who went through it.

Eh? Then how would cargo get more pilots in future if they've stopped taking in cadets? I know that cargo is now separate from the main fleet, and 744 pilots from the main fleet can longer fly the 744s from cargo and vice versa, as it was in the past.

And please explain the part where you say that those previously trained under cargo have done their conversion into the main fleet. Who are these people? Captains? First Officers? I know several first and 2nd officers who are still with cargo and there's no indication that they're joining the main fleet. You also mentioned that some have joined the 744 main fleet, which is rather strange since that fleet is winding down and the pilots there are already having trouble getting enough flights to remain current.

Could you please provide more details?

Lastly, hiring has always been done by the different departments. So no change there.

[Paige]

hi again

or maybe i'll post the questions here:

1) Yes, he did tell me that for sia cargo, the flights are long-haul too,
hence i was thinking,
could he request for silkair instead of sia upfront at the point of offer?

one of my pilot cadet friends told me mgmt will try to place the married ones in silkair as well as they want to avoid those with potential marital problems to be on long haul flights for the safety of passangers.

2) He told me he'll still be 50% of the time in sg. Is that true?

3) will he be away from sg each time max 3 days or it could be up to 1 wk?

4) this sounds tough but whats the estimated ratio like between married pilots who cheat and married pilots who have been faithful?

frankly, although we've known each other since uni (abt 8 yrs), i wouldn't know what's he'll be like in this setting as people change and they put on different 'faces' in different situations/environments.
Moreover, he's from engineering so i've never had to go though a phase where he's surrounded by beautiful gals. in uni, his school mates were mostly guys. even if there were girls, they are just the intellectual type u see around engineering faculty. similar, he's been working in a male dominated software company since grad.
many ask me it really boils down to the type of person he is. frankly, i wdn't know what type of person he'll be in such a different 'setting'.

i do know however that humans are animals with animal instincts and men are polygamous by nature...

I'll answer these questions here as it may be useful info for others.

1) You can request for Silkair. This would mean that he would have to reject offers from SIA and Cargo until Silkair decides they want to take in cadets for that batch. I'm not sure that they will appreciate repeated rejects so attempt at your own (or in this case your husband's) risk. I've heard of guys rejecting Cargo in hopes of SIA only to get offered Cargo again in the next batch of cadets. And I've never heard of anyone rejecting more than once.
I've also not heard of placement of pilots into SIA or Silkair based on marital status. Plenty of stewardesses on either airline and nightstops will not make much difference.

2) Well, thereabouts i guess, I don't really pay attention to that much.

3) Depends. Are you talking about SIA, Silkair or cargo? For SIA, anything from turnarounds to 7-8 days away from home.

4) Can't imagine how anyone can get their hands on that information. I myself would like to know. For research, of course.

Hi Wildcherry,

If your hubby got into cargo, then you dun even have to worry abt cabin crews around him as normally on cargo flts seldom or mayb dun even have cabin crew. Jencrs I'm I right? Although cargo are long haul flts but they also have long off days too... Going through the 2yrs training is really not easy.. Your hubby will need alot of support from you...

Cheers!
Paige

[RaMz]

first of all sorry for the delay. let me correct my post again. most cadets trained under cargo have all been converted into the main fleet. some are just waiting for their hours/paperwork/rating before they are converted into the main fleet unless they've decided to join the SIA cargo tech crew. those who were previously flying the 744F are now either in the 744 pax or on the triple. they won't be any new cadets trained for the cargo, either on the main fleet or for silkair. meaning, the hiring of pilots for the cargo dept. has been made independent. and for your info, the SIA Cargo tech crew man their own aircrafts since April 07.

[jencrs]

Ramz, I may be repeating myself, but I'm hoping that you can provide clearer details. Why are 744 Cargo pilots going over to the 744 main fleet when the 744 main fleet is already winding down, where pilots are only getting like 2 flights a month? If there are no new cadets trained for cargo, then where will they get new blood? Do you mean they will only hire pilots with prior experience? If they don't get new cadets, with a good number going over to the main fleet, who's going to fly the existing 744Fs? Those who chose to remain? Is that enough? Thanks.

[Plavt]

RaMz,
You aren't making any sense, jencrs has asked you twice; where are SIA cargo going to get their pilots from if they stop taking in cadets. I can only assume your source of information is unreliable or your post is mere conjecture. In addtiion I believe 747's are being replaced by the A380 and 777's are they not? In which case and again as jencrs says the 747 fleet is being wound down - many jumbo jets are now quite old.

Could we have some clarification on your information as it appears to be nothing more than hearsay?

[RaMz]

okay it's a bit difficult for me to explain, but i'll try my best. i'm not talking of ALL 744F pilots, but those who were trained as cadets and assigned to cargo. they were given an option to either join the main fleet or join the SIA cargo tech crew. most have opted out to join the main fleet (let me reassure, it's the CADETS i'm talking about and not the pilots who joined after getting their ATPL/CPL.) while some have accepted the offer to remain with SIA cargo.

the 744 main fleet is not winding down. if you didn't know, SIA leased 2 additional 744s which were ex-MAS to compensate their australian route network which has a high yield. they would be ceasing their 744 main line operations once the a380 arrives, but it's NOT in play YET for the the time being. and like i said in my previous post, the cadets from the 744F were assigned to both the triple and the 747 mainline. how were they assigned? i don't know, most probably depending on the vacancy. and about you saying getting 2 flights a month and the 747s being wound down is absolutely untrue. you can go and check out the online booking and MANY destinations are still being served by the 744s.

the cargo would not be getting cadets from SIA, but SIA cargo tech would be doing their own recruitment. i can't assure and say that they're taking in cadets or established pilots as they are being run separately (i.e. recruitment process).

how do i know? my brother WAS with the cargo earlier on, now on the 744 mainline. cheers.

[vix]

ROTFL - not surprised if this is some lame attempts 2 boost web stats. if u r a stewardess, deep down, most FA wud want 2 marry a rich or handsome pax ... seriously. Most only too shy 2 say.

aiya, nowadays pilots (in any airlines) learn less than investment bankers, startup CEOs, VCs, lawyers, or even U lecturers. so wat's de big deal?! sad but tru

[jencrs]

and about you saying getting 2 flights a month and the 747s being wound down is absolutely untrue.

I did my SEP with a few main fleet 744 captains a few weeks ago, and I just spoke to a few friends in cargo as well as the main fleet on the phone. Those in the main fleet are all complaining about how little flights they get every month. Two flights and sometimes even just 1 flight a month, mostly to London or Sydney. They have to go to the simulator just to stay current. Why is that happening? The fleet is winding down. Can't believe you're arguing on that.

I'm also staring at the SIA timetable effective 25 Mar 2007 to 25 Oct 2007 at this moment. You can count the number of main fleet 744 destinations on your hands, and only a few are daily flights. You still believe that 744 still serves MANY destinations? Well, I guess that 'MANY' is a relative term.

Then you tell us that those who were trained as cadets and assigned to cargo are given the option to switch. Were trained, as in they're no longer cadets. And in the next line you tell us that it's the cadets you're talking about.

Still, it's difficult to do any convincing by posting on a forum. You just go on believing what you believe, and so will I until I hear something different.

[Plavt]

the 744 main fleet is not winding down. if you didn't know, SIA leased 2 additional 744s which were ex-MAS

This would appear flawed as jencers is a serving pilot and would doubtless know.

the cargo would not be getting cadets from SIA, but SIA cargo tech would be doing their own recruitment. i can't assure and say that they're taking in cadets or established pilots as they are being run separately (i.e. recruitment process).

how do i know? my brother WAS with the cargo earlier on, now on the 744 mainline. cheers.

This is what is questionable; you have openly stated you do not know where they are getting their pilots from and I doubt that they would seek experienced pilots since, unless I am mistaken, cargo pilots earn less than those carrying passengers.

I am not sure I see the point of SIA leasing two 747's from MAS (if that is what they have done) with the introduction of the A380 that would make it pointless.

[Plavt]

ROTFL - not surprised if this is some lame attempts 2 boost web stats

Maybe it will or won't, the fact is you always get the odd post like this from time to time and I can see why you are laughing.

. if u r a stewardess, deep down, most FA wud want 2 marry a rich or handsome pax ... seriously. Most only too shy 2 say.

Guess that rules me out of the equation not to mention I am past my 'sell by date'..........

nowadays pilots (in any airlines) learn less than investment bankers, startup CEOs, VCs, lawyers, or even U lecturers. so wat's de big deal?! sad but tru

.........amazing what you can do by ripping other people off or simpy being a pratt........

[jencrs]

the 744 main fleet is not winding down. if you didn't know, SIA leased 2 additional 744s which were ex-MAS

This would appear flawed as jencers is a serving pilot and would doubtless know.

Heh, thanks for that vote of confidence, but I too make dumb mistakes sometimes. However I'm pretty sure of what I'm talking about this time.

[missy_a]

like wad most of them has mentioned, u reali gotta trust ur husband else there is no happiness being together when u r so doubtful of him.

i've always believe tat if a guy realli want to stray, he can do it anywhere not jus being a pilot.

there are alot of guys that i know who stray behind their gf/wife's back and they are just the executives working in the corporate world.

if ur guy is faithful towards u, u can trust that he will definitely not stray even if gals throw themselves at him. but if its the vice versa, he can still stray while coming home n slp beside u every nite!!

therefore, i feel tat instead of being doubtful about him being a pilot, u shld start to think how to make him be loyal n faithful to u n u only cos a woman shld never interfere in a man's career. instead, we shld support him in everything that he do.

just my 2 cents worth!

[Plavt]

there are alot of guys that i know who stray behind their gf/wife's back and they are just the executives working in the corporate world.

I notice that myself; far worse than any of the pilots I'm sure.

[jencrs]

and about you saying getting 2 flights a month and the 747s being wound down is absolutely untrue.

Just some extra info for our dear friend Ramz, if he's interested. I've just been reading a bulletin for SIA pilots about the mainline 744 fleet. As it stands, as you probably already know, there are 20 744s. By 2009, there'll be less than half that and by 2011, there'll be 1 left. I'd call that winding down, wouldn't you? Also, the crew surplus for 744 is expected to continue until the end of next year. Not too smart to be placing cargo pilots in the main fleet at this time then, don't you think?

You sure you heard your 'brother' correctly?

[forumer]

I have never heard of cargo cadets being offered choice of "transferring" to main fleet.

But i have heard of some who "requested" for Cargo at their partner's request.

My take on this to threadstarter, if your hubby is going to sleep with other women, he'll do so anywhere and with anybody..