I first arrived to fly in China on a joint venture offshore helicopter operation in Shenzhen. I, like the rest of the foreign pilots when flying the Chinese registered aircraft, did so on a CAAC endorsment of my British CAA ATPL(H). The UK 'G' reg aircraft, when flown by Chinese captains, who had been to the UK and had obtained a British CAA ATPL(H). All the co-pilots flew on either Chinese licences or validations from the CAA.
Come 1960 and my sixtieth birthday and it was considered that I could no longer fly in China. I flew a bit of contract in the UK and came to China in 1964 where I discovered that the CAAC would respect the limits of the host country inasmuch as the age limitaions were concerned. My previous employers were strapped for pilots and in a short time I was back in China in command.
The United Kingdom bins pilots at the age of sixty-five so in 1965 I left with the advice to get an Australian licence so as to continue my career. (Australia has no age limit and the company had confirmed with CAAC that they would respect the Australian limitations as well). This I did and I returned to China with an Australian ATPL(H) that was endosed by CAAC so I was back in command again. I was now employed and paid by a major British helicopter company but I was prohibited from flying their, G reg, aircraft; so I stuck to the Chinese ones.
A year or so later the scene changed. The days of unlimited endorsment renewels was over so I had to get a Chinese licence to continue flying in China. This took time, as opposed to the month it took in Australia, so I had to work there and commute to China to pass the various stages. I obviously passed the so-called astronaut medical and all the complicated catch questions in the exams and I was awarded a Chinese ATPL(H) at the age of sixty-six. The British part of the operation then ceased.
I now flew directly for the Chinese company on short term contracts until they no longer needed me in late 2008 and I finally retired two months before my sixty-ninth birthday still with a Class One medical. All is not bad in China. I had no trouble with any of the CAAC licensing or medical staff, quite the reverse.
The last years that I flew in China capped my career with a golden crown. I only wish I could do it all over again.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 28th Dec 2011 at 09:43.