rookie questions about chinese airlines

[unclekina]

So I just started flight school in sweden so there is still pretty much time until i get my CPL:ugh:. Im very interested in working in china later on since im half so i speak fluent in mandarin chinese.
I have read some treads here but was hoping if anyone experienced could help me figure out the pros and cons about a chinese airline such as AIR CHINA.
What are the qualifications in asia? does my european cpl work or does it have to be a american faa license? :eek:
will they want to hire me more since i speak chinese? :D
thx for all the usefull answers!

[smiling monkey]

If you're not a Chinese national, then you'll be treated just like any other low time foreigner after you get your CPL/IR which means pretty much zero chance of working for the Chinese national airline, let alone other Chinese carriers. Chinese airlines are in need of highly experience captains and that's why they're willing to recruit them from foreign countries and pay them top dollar, but not so newbie first officers. Local FO's in Chinese airlines usually go through a rigorous selection process to join as cadets where their training is conducted either locally or abroad. China Southern Airlines even have their own flight school in Western Australia and have been training their own cadets since the late 1990's at China Southern West Australia Flying College (www.cswafc.com.au).

[Wesker]

With your EASA license you can only fly EASA registered aircraft. Nothing else. To fly aircraft from other countries you need to have your license validated by that states CAA or acquire their local license. With just a CPL + ATPL theory this is often very difficult or impossible. If you hold a full ATPL it is much more simple and straight forward.

The second issue is work permit which many people forget or confuse with the Flight Crew License. Take for example to vast amount of foreigners with FAA licenses. They are allowed to fly FAA N-registered aircraft and some might even do so in foreign countries. But because they have no right to live and work in the United States they cannot use their FAA license to work in the USA. They need a green card or employer sponsored working permit/Visa which is very difficult to get.

Regarding China it's like smiling monkey says. China produces vast amounts of local F/O both in China and in other countries to fill the right hand seat. Captains are more difficult to produce and that's why they have to look outside of China. They then look for people current on type and with Pilot in Command hours on that specific type. Something that could take a new pilot 10-15 years to acquire from starting pilot training.