I worked for HVN in the late '90ies, for 3.5 yrs. After I left, I used to say - "Will go back there only on a B52 with nukes".
Actually after spending 57 days on layovers in India in 2005 and doing 17 trips by June 2006 my choice is Vietnam.
Sorry guys.
I am scared to fly into India. Looking at the TCAS is one thing but listening on the radio is... mind-bogging! I've placed a 100USD bet that there will be a major accident in the next 6 months.
I started my expat flying in 1995. I can tell U - nobody will dish out d big bucks for a good look and a decent accent. They throw the big bucks at U because the job is crap - its risky.
On my last 3-day layover I had an open wound on my ankle (a rope burn) that was nicely healing. Guess what - it got infected in Bombay!!!
In a piss-pit like India and Vietnam an expat must consider above and before all the health issues... Because, "no honey, no money"...
A fellow pilot was diagnosed with viral meningitis in Saigon way back in '97. The air ambulance arrived within 2h from SIN - it took 8h to do his paperwork at customs&immi - they almost lost him.
Imagine U are driven to a flight in one of the shiny new Atoses or Indicas and U get smashed by a truck?! No medevac for U - you will bleed to death before any help gets to you through the traffic caused by the rubberneckers. And if at all U get to the hospital on time... Not worth going on...
I am just in the right mood to enlighten you guys, that think that can make a nice buck while on furlough...
On an expat job you are treated like an attachment to the a/c. Not a fragile human being, be it India, Vietnam, China or any other 3rd world place...
God Bless the uninformed!
Amen