Originally Posted by
inver TED
If anyone has info about the Asian job markets, especially in regard to making contacts, conversion of licence and obviously hour requirements, it would be most welcome.
I have a bit over 2500 with 500 multi, CIR and G1 FIR.
Ted
Rodrigues, Ted, I also hold a Chinese CAAC CPL/IR and Flight Instructor rating. Currently, there's not much going over there with two "international" flying schools going bust in recent times, and a third struggling to keep its head above water. There may be a possibility of a new school recruiting foreign instructors next year, but at the moment, nothing is certain.
GA is still a new concept in China. There is a big problem with getting clearances, even to operate in the training area. Where I was based, we couldn't even do circuits when there was a 737 or A320 inbound, 20 minutes away as ATC still have a lot of trouble separating GA aircraft from airliners procedurally. On top of all that, we then had the military closing our training area at short notice and without any notice of when it will be reopened again. Getting clearances for navex was also difficult, and we had some students waiting months just to do one nav. No wonder the local flying schools went bust. And it's no wonder why many Chinese cadet pilots come to Australia to train.
There has been a lot of talk about China opening its skies in 2010 to GA, but at the moment, from where we were, there were no signs that this will ever happen in the near future.
Other options around Asia look more promising, in particular, Malaysia and the new flight school in Bali.