Hainan 320 to 330 CCQ and China
Hello Gents,
Sorry, this is a little long but I am bored this morning drinking my coffee.
I read through the posts here and feel many facts have been presented about China by USMCProbe, DualAirBleedFault and others that have spent time in CHINA, not Asia but China. I have been flying here just about 4 years now and see the good and bad. I have read the posts here and talked to many friends that have had ups and downs in China. Some came from Spring Air (fired) , Shenzhen (not bad), JuneYao (fired), Sichuan (good but Sim bust to right seat and quit), Chengdu Airlines (good but 1 fired), Capital (good), China Southern (contract breech). China can be very good or a nightmare. If you are in China getting paid and things are working out, consider yourself very very lucky...! I am not the expert but I am living it and flying it have many friends still here, and some that left.
I am sure there are other flying in China that are happy somewhere getting paid not posting here on Pprune. Pilots that are unhappy tend to make it known that is why there are many negative threads. On the other hand in China being negative can be a reality. Maybe like the negative you hear from the Sand Box..ha. I would take a long and hard look at the negative posts that I feel are 90% dead on...!
I had some people I know that went to Hainan years ago were pissed off about reimbursements were not be paid back. I heard, but dont know about the A320 to A330 CCQ but think it may be a challenge. I finished a 3 year A320 contact, CCQ'd to A330. Believe me, you have many chances to make mistakes, if your airline doesnt like you, you are gone...!
I never had to fly the right seat for CCQ, but training does take forever here, the Chinese way. From CCQSim in Beijing to flying as captain maybe 4 to 6 months. You will have many people, leader types, instructors riding along with you each flight until completion. When you make it, it is your lucky day..!
What I am getting at is from what I have heard, Hainan is better than Korean Air but not as friendly as Sichuan. I heard the Korean A330 maybe good, not like the 777 class that 6 or 7 highly skilled Captain never made it to the line..! I will have that report in another month.
As long as you feel confident your airline will not chew you up and spit you out, then go for it..! But, keep in mind like all of the experienced pilots are talking about on these posts, its China and not as easy sometimes as a western mind can comprehend. With children pissing on the streets, breathing the air, cant eat out at the food joints in fear of poisoning, internet blocked, phones blocked, language barrier( crowded cockpits, translators, extra pilots)the list goes on and on. It does have a tendency to wear your ass out after awhile, China will make you tired....! My wife is Chinese, I have 2 cars a apartment (own it) I am living the local life in China, even speak fair Chinese still makes me tired...hehe.
I am looking later to live and work in another country. I want to be based where I work and not commuting, forget that idea..! I want to fly the flight to my base and fly my flight back, NO Dead Heading. The 6/2 or similar type scked will kill you trying to commute to the west from China.
So Urge, I will be checking from time to time and look forward to your real time reports here in PPRUNE on Hainan because I am looking and either Germany or Australia or maybe even the USA when I finish my current contract.
I wish you luck..!
On Final