30 year Career: US Legacies vs Emirates/Qatar/Ethiad

[Freight Dog]

Did you burn your bridges in China? I believe they have the highest paid A320 captains in the world. They also have a deal where they'll hire you as A330 captain if you have A320 PIC time.

Additionally, Qatar Airways and Etihad hire direct entry captains into A320.

Life is too short to spend it in the seniority rat race if you're an experienced pilot.

 

[typhoonpilot]

I'm afraid Dumb Pilot and Freight Dog are right. I went to USAir in 07. Retirement age changed and I got furloughed 8 months later. I spent 3 years abroad as a A-320 Ca. bonus, the family loved it. Finally I was told to come back or be dropped, nice. Now after being back one year the good part has been I live in base and only fly about 20 hrs. a month, the bad is I am now 48 years old, the ugly is having burned thru what I saved I am now going in dept make 1/3 what I made abroad, and I just don't have the years to wait for "better things are just over the horizon"
Any thoughts where to take 1600hrs. of A-320 PIC time?
Cheers

In no particular order:

Etihad
Air Arabia
Qatar
SilkAir
Air Asia
China ( lots )
Tanzania ( new start-up )
Japan
Emirates ( as an F.O. )


I'm sure I'm missing some.


TP

 

[Golden Falcon]

live to work or work to live??.....A senior wide body capt or a junior narrow body FO at any USA company will probably have a much better life style... it seems seniority has little to do with QOL at most foreign carriers...while one might progress to wide body capt quite rapidly..(or more so than in USA) is the schedule and back to back regional night turns worth it? That's an individual decision....big money in China big issues to go along with it...research and talk to experienced folks at the airline you are considering not the honeymooner new joiners...TC! good luck...

 

[Dumb Pilot]

There are companies in the expat market that have low QOL, substandard T&C'S and draconian work rules for sure, but not all of them, even in the same market (such as China for example) QOL is very different from airline to airline, due diligence is required when researching your target market and airline, I would add that your research should be more about talking to pilots working there that are in a stage of their lives that is similar to yours (similar age, marital status, similar family situations) I see satisfaction levels that vary widely depending on age and marital status. There are good jobs out there that are very good alternatives to those that have gotten beaten down to a pulp in furlough fodder territory.

 

[WYOMINGPILOT]

Any thoughts where to take 1600hrs. of A-320 PIC time?
Cheers

Wow, I envy you. 500+ hour PIC pilots in the A-320 are the highest sought after commodity right now in the Ex-Pat world. There are literally 25 contracts out there you could work right now. You have to decide what motivates you. If it is money then China is the place. Many contracts are paying 20K per month not including overtime. If time off is your main motivation then Korean Air A-320 transition to A-330 is one of the best deals going for commuting Ex Pat pilots. Air Japan also offers one of the best commuting contracts available if not the best in the Ex Pat world. If you are seeking job security and career progression then Etihad should be near the top of your list. Lots of good QOL contracts in Singapore ie Silk Air, Tiger and Jet Star. If you go to China do your research thoroughly. If your adventurous try a new country every 3 years. Best of Luck!

 

[macdu]

I am back in China after getting recalled to my old bankrupt major airline. Being on reserve at the bottom of the list with a two leg commute just wasn't going to cut it. At my age there was no way I was going to upgrade either so I cut my losses.
If you have an agreeable family situation to the expat life why burden yourself with the states. It's very true there is a wide variance of lifestyle between certain jobs and countries. Do your homework and cross your fingers.
Here in China it's a bit of a wild card. I think Japan and most recently encouraging news of some training cultural changes at Korean with a rumor of Air Canada taking over the training there. I have not confirmed that but if true could make life there much easier.

 

[cameltoad]

No, I did not burn my bridge in China, my issue was with the CAAC or more exactly the medical division. To all that might go to China learn this from me. I have or have never had any medical issues, but my physical size confounded the Chinese. Plus to make matters worse a couple of Chinese Capts. had heart attacks while I was there, in the CAAC wisdom they told their doctors that the next time a doc. signs off a pilot who has a prob. he goes to jail,,,this is very typical of how the Chinese do things.
As I mentioned I had no medical problems but at 6'6" and 300lbs they just couldn't believe there was nothing wrong with me. So every 6 months even though their medical is amazingly thorough, I always had to do additional testing to prove I would not keel over dead. MRI scans, MIBI tests, etc. But when an ultrasound was requested for no reason than curiosity I said no and came home. Hoping to try Etihad or Korean,,,and yes currently losing weight.

 

[cameltoad]

Slight correction to my last thread, not an ultrasound, I did several of those and no I was not pregnant. It was an angiogram that was requested, that means cutting into your femoral artery, running a tube to your heart and squirting dye and making an image, mind you all the other test, MIBI scan, MRI, ultrasound, Bruce protocol stress test, showed NO cardiac abnormality or blockage of any kind. BTY, it is not unheard of people having adverse effects up to dying from angiograms,,,guess I'm just a wus but this is the kind of thing you can run into abroad, trust me I was there 2 years and I know firsthand of several expat Capts. having these kind of unheard-of-in -the-US issues abroad.
Don't get me wrong, living and working abroad can be an amazing experience but you will have to up your game and you very well might have to deal with issues as bizarre as mine.

 

[WYOMINGPILOT]

Yes I can back up your claims of outrageous tests in China going on currently. The latest fad is an ultrasound on the neck of the cartoid artery. Any blockage detected requires a heart CT scan where a contrast agent with a slightly radioactive dye is used and high speed images like an MRI tube are taken of your heart and cardiovascular system. The CT scan because of the dye carries a risk of 1/1000 of developing cancer and should only be performed once every 5 years. It seems the CAAC Docs have taken a total "CYA" type medical screening posture before they will sign off on any medicals with heart issues. Gall bladder sludge and kidney stones are other highly disqualifying tests they frequently find. Do yourself a favor and do a full body ultrasound scan before coming to China seeking employment. You can only count on employment for 6 months at a time. It is like running the Gauntlet, they will eventually break you down and knock you off. Overall great cash, good commuting options, lots of time off and some excellent aircraft and flying but not a long term secure gig. If you can survive 2 contracts though you can probably retire and bedone with the rat race.

 

[macdu]

Agreed, the medical here has got way out of hand. The Chinese are well known for knee-jerk reaction to events here and some recent medical issues with a very few pilots is driving this lunacy. If you are even close to being outside their size, weight, and bmi indexes you are already at a disadvantage at the medical. They will find something wrong with you. As was stated in an earlier post, the doc's are now gun shy to let any remote issue slip by for fear of losing the coveted party job and position.
It will start with, "you need another test it's just routine". Then you fail that test. Then they pull you from the line. Then the pay stops. Then you go home.
If the AME'S in the U.S. used the same methods as the Chinese do for flight physicals I am serious when I say half the pilots would be grounded in the U.S.!