King Air, you are dead right, it is Air China indeed ( sorry about the typo) , now a member of Star Alliance and a really good airline nowadays, safe, mostly on-time and friendly, operating well maintained equipment. If you go through the Ameco ( a long time suvcessful JV with Lufthansa) facilities in Beijing you get a very good impression about their maintenance and procedures.
Folks, I know how you feel in stepped climbs from flying in Russia and China also on older TU's and Yaks. This was "digital " from full climb power to idle.
If we would have had cups on the fold out tables they would have emptied into the front seat pockets
.
Fly safe!
Frank