Spring airlines
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Spring airlines
Does anybody have information about spring airlines?
They do offer interesting roster patterns and payment seems to be good.
Is there anybody flying for spring airlines. How is to work for them and how is to live in shanghai?
Thanks for info!
Greetz
severecavok
They do offer interesting roster patterns and payment seems to be good.
Is there anybody flying for spring airlines. How is to work for them and how is to live in shanghai?
Thanks for info!
Greetz
severecavok
Join Date: Sep 2014
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I will try and be constructive.
Not many in the airline speak English. You will have lots of delays and I mean lots. The company have an internal website which names and shames pilots whom have any type of incident placed with a photo for all to see and read.
There is about 50 foreign skippers. The airline try and act all nice nice but you are only a means to the pilot shortage and don't forget that. The training is zero. You are put in a sim with no brief or debrief and just try and survive as if you don't look at the trainer or examiner in the correct way, you may find being back In the right seat, grounded with no pay or they may find some excuse to fail you're medical. I'm 2 years in and only for the money, I would be gone but I can assure you, I won't be renewing. The contract agencies try and sugar coat it but business is business and don't trust any, including the good ones. The hotels on over nights are poor. The airline has a hotel located next door to the airline offices, it's called the homeyo and it's very poor. It has mould, dirty carpets and smells of damp. Before all this you must come to shanghai and complete the assessment. The medical is unusual with most doctors having no English and the best bit is at the end of the day when you are placed in a room, the door locked with Chinese doctors and other pilots and told to strip to boxers and then to nothing to check you over. The interview is about 5 mins and no issue. The ATP exam is pot luck. Out of 15 who took it only 3 of us passed and I guessed About 20 as the questions can be a mix of Chinese to English. The sim assessment is a joke, no brief, in the sim and off you go. Lots of failures etc. in my opinion if you are desperate don't even think of this place, stay in you're job till something better comes. Hope this helps.
Not many in the airline speak English. You will have lots of delays and I mean lots. The company have an internal website which names and shames pilots whom have any type of incident placed with a photo for all to see and read.
There is about 50 foreign skippers. The airline try and act all nice nice but you are only a means to the pilot shortage and don't forget that. The training is zero. You are put in a sim with no brief or debrief and just try and survive as if you don't look at the trainer or examiner in the correct way, you may find being back In the right seat, grounded with no pay or they may find some excuse to fail you're medical. I'm 2 years in and only for the money, I would be gone but I can assure you, I won't be renewing. The contract agencies try and sugar coat it but business is business and don't trust any, including the good ones. The hotels on over nights are poor. The airline has a hotel located next door to the airline offices, it's called the homeyo and it's very poor. It has mould, dirty carpets and smells of damp. Before all this you must come to shanghai and complete the assessment. The medical is unusual with most doctors having no English and the best bit is at the end of the day when you are placed in a room, the door locked with Chinese doctors and other pilots and told to strip to boxers and then to nothing to check you over. The interview is about 5 mins and no issue. The ATP exam is pot luck. Out of 15 who took it only 3 of us passed and I guessed About 20 as the questions can be a mix of Chinese to English. The sim assessment is a joke, no brief, in the sim and off you go. Lots of failures etc. in my opinion if you are desperate don't even think of this place, stay in you're job till something better comes. Hope this helps.
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Hi woodenfloor1,
thank you very much for this very interesting answer. That sounds bad. Im still looking for a good job in south east asia. VNA is still interesting.
I have never heard something positive about any chinese airline. It sounds everything so good in the joboffers but it all seems to be a last resort way.
So I will wait and see whats coming further.
Greetz
severecavok68
thank you very much for this very interesting answer. That sounds bad. Im still looking for a good job in south east asia. VNA is still interesting.
I have never heard something positive about any chinese airline. It sounds everything so good in the joboffers but it all seems to be a last resort way.
So I will wait and see whats coming further.
Greetz
severecavok68
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It is very disappointing as it should be an exciting time in any ones career. The problem is a lot more political than one would think. Facebook is blocked, google is blocked. So much for freedom and making ones own decisions on life. From what I understand VNA is a good option. Once you sign a contract with a Chinese airline, that's it, you ain't moving anywhere. It's very messy. Any wonder why so many jobs advertised with all the agency's promising money, time off etc. They should take a trip over to an airline here. They should be ashamed.
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Let me try to be constructive; If you are not someone who is accepting of change and have a hard time seeing the other side of things and willing to give something else a try, don't leave your home to seek out a job in another country. I am finishing my fifth year here in China. Its not easy sometimes no doubt. The ATP is a crap shoot but if you study and your diligent you should pass. Once its done thats the last time you ever have to take it for China. The medicals are a bitch. Here is the bright side......if you have a medical issue, don't you want to know to deal with it? I sure do. Lets face it, at least for us Americans our FAA medicals are a joke. Your initial sim check......if you just ask ahead of time you will probably be provided a syllabus for the sim, if not ask one of the current guys what was covered. Your agency should also be able to provide you something. If you can fly and know your airplane well QRH, SOP, Call outs etc.....your fine. My airline has some hotel issues as well. We(locals/expats) have made some headway, and changes to better hotels is happening(Crown Plaza for ZBAA). Nobody speaks english.......fine, learn some Chinese. Make an effort to speak the language and this accommodation goes a long way trust me. The worst thing you can do is be the ugly expat. Go in complaining nobody speaks english, this sucks, that sucks, training sucks, hotels suck.....you will be put on the short list of "he is a pain in the ass and your life will become difficult" list. Now on the other hand if you are a descent guy, do a good job, fly safe, fly the SOP, smile, be friendly, and know how to make constructive suggestions this will go a long way towards marking you as a respected pilot. We have monthly meetings which give you the formal opportunity to be heard. China is about "relationships" don't underestimate this. I have cultivated this to my benefit here and it has paid huge dividends.
Finally, I have made some good friends here both Chinese and expat. We have great parties, good fun, good food, wine or craft beer if thats your thing. One last thing....occasionally the internet is a pain but as long as you have a good VPN your internet surfing is unfettered. Youtube, Netflix, porn etc...overnout.
Finally, I have made some good friends here both Chinese and expat. We have great parties, good fun, good food, wine or craft beer if thats your thing. One last thing....occasionally the internet is a pain but as long as you have a good VPN your internet surfing is unfettered. Youtube, Netflix, porn etc...overnout.
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390Blue;
I agree with everything 390BLUE said, but would like to expand a bit. He said he is approaching the 5 year mark in China. There are very, very few expats that last that long, for many reasons, mostly medical.
It is not that you will fail a medical, because you probably will. It is that you will fail to many, and get tired of losing a couple months pay. It is you will be told you have to have a procedure done at your expense, and the real doctor you hire says he can't find anything wrong. Worse, they can say they found something, and you have to have surgery at THEIR hospital to correct it. For all of these reasons, I have seen pilots resign.
How to survive? Well, if you have two months off every 6 due to medical, just take an extended vacation. I saw a couple pilots do this twice a year, every year. They made more than enough the other 8 months of the year.
China is a good gig if you can get the job. But it is not for everyone. I would say it is most suited for a pilot from another airline on a leave of absence, etc. It is good to have a job to go back to. That reduces the stress of failed medicals.
What 390BLUE said applies not just to China, but to any expat job.
I agree with everything 390BLUE said, but would like to expand a bit. He said he is approaching the 5 year mark in China. There are very, very few expats that last that long, for many reasons, mostly medical.
It is not that you will fail a medical, because you probably will. It is that you will fail to many, and get tired of losing a couple months pay. It is you will be told you have to have a procedure done at your expense, and the real doctor you hire says he can't find anything wrong. Worse, they can say they found something, and you have to have surgery at THEIR hospital to correct it. For all of these reasons, I have seen pilots resign.
How to survive? Well, if you have two months off every 6 due to medical, just take an extended vacation. I saw a couple pilots do this twice a year, every year. They made more than enough the other 8 months of the year.
China is a good gig if you can get the job. But it is not for everyone. I would say it is most suited for a pilot from another airline on a leave of absence, etc. It is good to have a job to go back to. That reduces the stress of failed medicals.
What 390BLUE said applies not just to China, but to any expat job.
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The worst one still being Spring Airlinesˇˇˇ
Lowest salary in China
Bad Hotelsˇˇˇ
NO words about Rosters.... 6 days a month in Shanghai. You will love ZBSJ, ZGGG, ZGSZ, ZSYA,
Worst Airline Everˇˇˇ
Lowest salary in China
Bad Hotelsˇˇˇ
NO words about Rosters.... 6 days a month in Shanghai. You will love ZBSJ, ZGGG, ZGSZ, ZSYA,
Worst Airline Everˇˇˇ
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Hi woodenfloor1,
thank you very much for this very interesting answer. That sounds bad. Im still looking for a good job in south east asia. VNA is still interesting.
I have never heard something positive about any chinese airline. It sounds everything so good in the joboffers but it all seems to be a last resort way.
So I will wait and see whats coming further.
Greetz
severecavok68
thank you very much for this very interesting answer. That sounds bad. Im still looking for a good job in south east asia. VNA is still interesting.
I have never heard something positive about any chinese airline. It sounds everything so good in the joboffers but it all seems to be a last resort way.
So I will wait and see whats coming further.
Greetz
severecavok68
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Brazil
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We got an email more than 1 month ago from one of the lovely Bosses...
What changed in one month?
NOTHINGˇˇˇ
Same ****.
Same crappy roster
No increased salary
No reduced layovers
No reduced Fxxxx split dutys.
What changed in one month?
NOTHINGˇˇˇ
Same ****.
Same crappy roster
No increased salary
No reduced layovers
No reduced Fxxxx split dutys.
