ELAC
Is Asian aviation better off with or without influences that may modify and improve these factors?
Can you give me an example where the Chinese airlines in particular have modified their operations after input from the 'foreigners'. A handful of expats will not change the outlook of thousands of years of cultural influence.
The Koreans were forced into hiring expats as a result of their accident record. However reading posts on all the Korean carriers you know that fundamentally the local culture wins through.
It is unfortunate for Asia that aviation is constructed around western attitudes and outlooks with an assumption that individuals take responsibility for their actions and are capable of independent thought. Aviation has progressed through admitting we made mistakes, did not get it right, and made changes accordingly.
How do you get a culture to change where: 'the leaders' are the only ones who can make decisions, and to change anything would be an admission that they dot it 'wrong' and face has been lost?
I would suggest that had Asia been the prime manufacturers of Aircraft for the last 100 years the accepted operating philosophies and procedures would be very different.
I do know of expats who have progressed through some Asian airlines, but they tend to adopt the local outlook. In my opinion all of the expat 'influencers' in these airlines would be seen as 'oddballs' in their home cultures.
In my experience the expat Captains can improve safety on their individual flights but ultimately can not influence corporate safety.
The large salaries tend to be in places that are unpleasant to live in. If anybody thinks the Chinese are paying for expertise, that is delusional. Those that succeed their are those that are able to accept and adapt to the way they operate. Anybody who tries to do things in a Western way will not get online.
Bottom line: Western pilots can improve safety on a handful of flights but influencing the locals, convincing them they need to change, really? Give me some examples.