I struggle a bit with this book. A lot of good information, but heavily anti China and anti Chinese.
I just don't think it is possible put more than a billion people into the same bag.
A lot of the issues are common for most expat jobs out there.
Was this your first time working outside USA?
As for the book itself. You knowledge is centered around one airline, but there are many other airlines in China. You write about some incidents, and pretty much say this is the way it is in China, but there is no way you can know this.
Some of the things you claim are just not correct. The Chinese are idiots for not using oxygen when one pilot is out of the cockpit and the aircraft is above 25000 ft? Where in the world is this a procedure?
I have flown to China, but never worked there. I have stayed in China, but never lived there, so my knowledge is limited. Would I work in China? Maybe, but not before doing a lot of research. Your book should be mandatory reading for anyone thinking about China, I just wish it was a bit less....hateful.
Something really bad must have happened to you over there.
Greetings M.A.S. thank you for taking the time to leave your comments.
For a westerner like me (and others who contributed to FUD) what you have to understand is that the Chinese are extremely homogeneous. China is for the Chinese, about the Chinese and not much else. In your research I'd recommend looking up "sinocentrism" for some more background. But you are correct, on a one-to-one basis, the Chinese can be quite lovely. We cover this in the first section of our book.
I and several other captains who contributed have worked outside of the US or did not hail from the USA (being either European or South American). Some were more anti-China than others.
The CAAC is... insane. Imagine the FAA on PMS and LSD and you have a pretty good description. Being the governing force, you can imagine the influence this has on airlines throughout the great nation in general. We did touch on a few outside stories, but I veiled them in some instances to protect the anonymity of the story tellers. But you are right, we could use more stories from other airlines. I have received a few messages from potential future contributors for volume II of FUD.
RE: FL250 and wearing O2 when a pilot leaves the deck, this is pretty common in the regulations. Here is an excerpt of the regulation (FAR 121.333):
FAR Part § 121.333: Supplemental oxygen for emergency descent and for first aid; turbine engine powered airplanes with pressurized cabins -- FAA FARS, 14 CFR
(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (c)(2) of this section, if for any reason at any time it is necessary for one pilot to leave his station at the controls of the airplane when operating at flight altitudes above flight level 250, the remaining pilot at the controls shall put on and use his oxygen mask until the other pilot has returned to his duty station.
Fly safely!
L.G.