On February 11, Cathay Pacific Airways held a ceremony at its headquarters' complex to present graduates of the airline's Cadet Pilot Programme with their "wings", marking their official entry into the airline as Second Officers.

Director Flight Operations Nick Rhodes officiated at the presentation to the 11 members of the "CP29" Cadet Pilot Programme class. The new pilots have already embarked on training at Cathay Pacific's state-of-the-art Flight Training Centre to equip them for their aviation careers, which will give them the opportunity to quickly rise to the level of Captain.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Rhodes said: "We are very pleased to welcome the latest graduates from the Cadet Pilot Programme into the airline. They have been through 14 months of very demanding flying training in Adelaide and we wish them all well as they embark on the next stage of their flying career."

All the members of CP29 are Hong Kong ID card holders and come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some already had careers in the aviation industry - including helicopter pilot, flight instructor and Cathay Pacific flight attendant - while others had jobs ranging from financial planner to teacher.

Cathay Pacific launched the Cadet Pilot Programme in 1988 to demonstrate its commitment to Hong Kong and equip local people with the skills needed to develop a career as a pilot with one of the world's leading airlines.

A total of 32 cadets graduated through the Cadet Pilot Programme in 2009, including the members of CP29. There are currently another 61 cadets going through training in Adelaide, with an additional 60 set to join before the end of 2010. By the end of last year, 298 ex-cadets were flying with Cathay Pacific, 53 of whom are now Captains with the airline.

Cathay Pacific makes a considerable investment in such graduates who chose to forge an aviation career by joining the Cadet Pilot Programme. The airline pays the full cost of the 14-month flying training course in Adelaide, which amounts to approximately HK$1 million, and makes a considerable investment in terms of ongoing training throughout their careers with the airline.

Photograph: Cathay Pacific Director Flight Operations Nick Rhodes together with the latest Cadet Pilot Programme graduates to get their "wings".