I'm no expert on China visas, but as far as I know, for tourism, you either need to travel with a tour group, or be invited by a Chinese resident, or apply for visa-on-arrival at one of the SEZ ports. In which cases 6, 30, or 3 day visas are the options. Visas for study are also available, but you'd need to be sponsored by the institution where you intend to study.

So the tourist visa option doesn't give you much time to learn the language.

Another thing to contemplate, in China foreigners are taxed on their income at about 45%. So if you see a salary mentioned anywhere, that number is not even close to what lands in your bank account.

China is very welcoming of foreigners. But make sure all your paperwork is in order first, because the Chinese authorities just love paperwork. I've worked in many less favourable places than China, and not wishing to dampen anyones enthusiasm for coming to China, but there really isn't much opportunity if you want to be employed flying helicopters in China, especially if you don't speak the national language. And I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I just don't see any possibility for employment success by rocking up in a sail boat at a coastal marina armed with a tourist visa, no matter how much ambition drives anyone to try.

https://web.archive.org/web/20141109...ages.yojik.eu/

here's a clean website with text and audio files for Putonghua and many other languages..

Pleco is a very good app probably the best out there for Chinese and can be downloaded from google play store and apple ...and its free

Thilo. I don't know your age, matrimonial status or educational qualification but if you are that keen why not get a job teaching English in China.

English is a compulsory subject in China and those wishing to continue their education overseas have to pass what is called TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). This is test of both grammar and conversation. To avoid their students learning what is known as Chinglish they employ foreign native English speakers in colleges to teach correct pronunciation, grammar and the differences between through and threw.

You have to get the qualification first and you can search that on the internet. You will have competition with university students on their gap year and if you are successful you may end up in the back of beyond with no western people or food in sight. If nothing else you will have to learn Mandarin to get around.

It's a suggestion. I know a few that do it including a Kiwi but I have lost contact with them.

Thanks for all the advice above, this is much appreciated.
BTW, I am 57 today and just short of 10000 hours, mostly in utility & survey work.

Forget it. I was shortlisted as number one for a simulator job in China and I was unsuccessful because they would not issue new work permits for anyone over sixty.

Unless they had been there before, as I was, who continued until I was nearly sixty nine.

Unless you are a highly sought-after Internationally recognised specialist surgeon or similar profession that is in high demand in China you have zero chance of getting a work permit in China at age 60.

Unfortunately, helicopter pilots don't fit in those categories. @Fareastdriver is correct. Forget it, China is just not an option. This is the brutal truth.

:sad: Bummer!