I am up for an adventure.
It is certainly an adventure and I wouldn't say don't try it.
So after the recruitment sim what happens? You go to China for a medical or do they do it in America? You need a CAAC ATPL or is ICAO sufficient? I have read that you write a CAAC exam that is in poor english, does the company provide in class preparation or this or is it done by your contract company? How is the exam? I am not too worried about the medical, I am in good health and live an active lifestyle.
You must obtain a CAAC ATPL but it will be done after employment and arranged by the airline. The written is done prior to recruitment and you are allowed to retake if you fail. Many people fail the first time due to the reasons you mentioned. Preparation is up to you but your recruiter may have some practice material for you to use. Medical is thorough.
If you make it through recruitment why is training 4-6 months on a plane you are already type rated? What is the training process? Why do candidates wash out?
It's a good question. The Chinese are inefficient in the extreme when it comes to training and testing pilots...this is why they need you. The training process is pretty much non existent so pilots wash out because they don't really know what's expected of them or why they may be performing badly. Much of the evaluation is highly subjective so it depends on the instructor you may have. Again, the Chinese are superstitious and often find subtle faults in strange places that get blown out of proportion.
How do you get set up with an apartment across the planet? When I moved for work previously it was all set up for me. How do you find a roommate if this is the route you want to go?
You have one month of a nice hotel paid by the airline to find a place. There are other expat pilots who will help you if you ask. This is not that difficult and there are some nice places to live. The trick is that you might not know where you will be based right away and most landlords require 3 to 6 months advance rent plus a security deposit and you won't have been paid yet. You must have plenty of cash on hand prior to going to China.
When working the contract with 110 vacation days a year, how often are you making overtime? The $200USD over 80 per calendar month.
This is dependent largely on your base. There are plenty of options for overtime if you want it.
I understand that working for Tianjin can be a bit of a show, I roll with the punches pretty well and am really looking for the best way to make some cake to put away. Canadian airlines are bending over backward to keep their money far away from their pilots.
I understand. You will make good money. You need to be flexible, tolerant, and open minded to survive.
I am also looking at other contracts outside of China, but China seems to be offering the most money, which is really my only motivation. Hey, I'm being honest. I want to go, stay for 6 years, then get a job at Wal-Mart.
If you can last six years you are in a very small minority but some people do it. It's rewarding in many ways but there is a sacrifice.
Read my previous posts if you haven't already.