tsquare

With windows 7, I can write on the forums and watch videos... at the same time.

whatwasthat? underboobage on the video.

K.. I'm back.

Elvis90

The captain I was with was pretty sure they were paid next to nothing...it is communism over there that rules. They thought our Delta wings were made of real gold...they didn't have any wings or nametags...just shoulder boards and plain hats.

own nav

I think you're on to something.

There is line

As far as pay goes in China and most of the far east countries, it really depends. However when they (major airlines) do hire expat pilots they usually pay very well. You'd be on a contract for a number of months or years and they're most of times very happy to renew it if you want. I guess it's better than hiring a "stranger" off the street for a year or two. I have close friends who have been all over Asia and have made a crap load of money very quickly: tax-free pay (up to 92500$/yr and then only for the portion above it), paid living quarters for you and family, paid insurance (100%), average of 100$ per diem cash, and more. We're talking average of 15000$/mo take home. Doesn't take long to accumulate it in a Swiss bank account.
For what communism is concerned... have you been to Beijing or Shangai recently? A guarantee you that London or Paris are way more "communist than any place in China you'd be flying out of. Not to mention SF...

The Dominican

Yeah, regrettably their hiring requirements haven't been relaxed and I doubt they will ever be since it is part of the agreement with their pilots union that they will only hire experienced pilots.
There are contract packages in China now worth 18 to 20 grand a month, tax free, commutable by confirmed tickets round trip and many other trimmings. I'm sure they will manage without your services
I agree, unless you experience it for yourself it is very difficult to paint a picture of what is going on in Asia it is quite amazing.

The Dominican

Well, their salaries compared with the US are quite low (and ours are low compared with other western countries) but their life styles are not too bad actually, a Chinese captain is provided an apartment (a western style apartment, very comfortable) they are provided a vehicle, school is paid for, healthcare, they get a lot of discounts in items like groceries, electric bills, gas. They are viewed as a high status position within the society thus opening many doors for them just by saying "I'm an airline captain" so you see a salary of lets say 50 grand a year (it is around that figure) for an airline captain seems very low for us but it provides them with a comfortable life style there. Your gold wings not withstanding

Smokey23

The biggest take-away I got from the article is that we shouldn't have to worry about foreign pilots coming here to undercut our jobs any time soon. If anything their airlines will be increasing recruitment of US pilots to come fly their aircraft.

As for a real pilot shortage here in the US? It's still a mirage.

Elvis90

Apparently it sucked to work for Air China back in 2008, according to this Forbes article:

Chinese Pilots Pay To Quit - Forbes.com

Communism stinks.

The Dominican

All part of the changes going on in China, if you would take the time to follow up on that particular dispute you would find that they were able to change jobs without having to pay any fine and it set the precedent that in the new system that governs their aviation, pilots are able to change jobs although not as easy as us of course, at no time I have said that their way is better and that is self evident, my point is that our perception of their lives is very different than what it actually is, here in the US we view pilots in China the same as factory workers, with salaries of $300 a month and having to pick rice on the weekends to make ends meet, not at all the case. In the other hand they view all western pilots as millionaires with fancy gold wings, their view of us is also very far from reality isn't it?

OBAP

Thats great! Boeing is going to train several hundred thousand pilots to ATP time and standards on big jets free! That will solve the problem for sure.......Wait what they aren't going to train the several hundred thousand pilots to ATP in big jets free? Say it isn't true. And of course they are also going to pay a professional salary too?

Simpler solution PAY! McDonalds pays $3000.00 less than a regional pilots salary per year first year,but they get lunch and go home each day and only work 8 hours. Thats at minimum wage in California. No college, no 1500 hours, no flight training required heck not even a high school diploma.

I already have the time and experience but the job pays so low that a person who comes out of college would be a fool to pursue flying as a career. Hence the shortage. The industry wants cake and minimum wage pilots too!

Let them cancel flights and say what they will but the truth is right there in their face ALPA explains the situation in a cartoon LOL