Flight Instruct in China

[PWMURPHY]

Rapid expansion of the Beijing PanAm International Aviation Academy has created several openings for flight instructors. The requirements are CFIA, CFII, and MEI (FAA, JAA, or equivalent elsewhere), 100 hours of dual given, able to pass the medical exam in China (more rigorous exam than in the States), a sense of adventure, the ability to work well with many types of people, and the patience to help us as we conquer the previously non-existent world of private flying and non-government controlled flight training in China.

BPIAA currently has instructors from the USA, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, and China. In a few weeks that list will expand to Italy and Spain.

The benefits are a competitive salary (yes a salary), paid accommodations, medical plan, and much more. It is a situation where you can live cheaply and actually save money or pay off loans as an instructor.

The facilities are new as are the aircraft (DA40s and DA42s).

This is NOT the type of job or location for everyone. But if it sounds interesting to you, I can be your first point of contact and would be willing to share with you all the information I have.

If interested, send me an email at p.murphy@panamaviation.com

I am now the General Manager of the Flight Operations Department for BPIAA. Some of you may know me from my former life in the States in the flight training industry.

Patrick Murphy

[BrettInLJ]

Do you have to speak any dialects of Chinese, i.e. Mandarin? If not, would the students already speak fluent english. I won't be a CFI for several months, I'm just curious about how general aviation is taking hold in China. Who are the students, from rich families, military? What are the training challenges? I know there are unique cultural differences that others have mentioned regarding aviation in Asia.

[EDUC8-or]

STAY AWAY from this place. FAR AWAY! I've heard some bad horror stories.

[classg172]

Any details on whats so bad about them? Classg172@yahoo.com

[PWMURPHY]

You do not have to speak Chinese. The students must speak English.

Guess I don't know what the horror stories would be. I've only been here 2 weeks. The facilities are nice. The equipment brand new. Must be the horror of receiving $2,000 USD tax-free each month as a flight instructor?

All sarcasm aside, the biggest issue I am aware of is the expected struggle with Chinese airspace. That is getting better. However, the flight time for our initial students and instructors has accumulated slowly due to that. But I do believe that the company and the Chinese government have good solutions in the making. In addition, the company is in the process of acquiring additional bases in more favorable locations to solve many of those issues.

But don't think about coming to China if you believe it will be easy. Any new aviation operation would be difficult, but doing this in China accentuates those challenges. But I do think the company is moving forward rapidly and meeting those challenges.

And no matter what the company does about living conditions, you are still living in China. And that will present challenges for the best of us, I believe.

In my opinion, no where else in the flight training world has the "upside" than what exists here in China. Where else in the world is flight training actually expanding? By 2007 there will likely be 3 or 4 major companies operating here just to meet the current demand for airline pilots.

Patrick Murphy

[EDUC8-or]

I think if you decided to go to China to flight instruct you should just be careful what to expect. Do not expect the type of living conditions you have here in the US. Don't expect your water to be on all day as well as electricity. Also, don't expect much flight time. Like PWMURPHY said, there are lots of restrictions on the airspace and you have very strict time and area guidelines to follow. Don't expect much flight time.

If you're looking for a different experience and you don't mind living in those conditions I think it could be an interesting experience. If you aren't looking to build time in a hurry you might enjoy it. The problems I've heard about is some of the people who went over there were lied to and not told about living conditions and they were told they would be getting close to 100 hours per month. Any operation that lies to perspective employees is one to shy away from.

[Dee]

Is it difficult to convert your license? what about transportation? is the house furnished?

[PWMURPHY]

Dee:
Let me cover those in reverse order (purposely).
1. You get a hotel room like at the airlines. But it's not quite the Holiday Inn. It's livable but rough around the edges. And it's free to the instructors.
2. The company pays to get you to China and then back at the end of the contract. While here, they provide transportation to town (20 mi away) 6 days a week. Again free. But you'll have to make your own way from the hotel to the airport training facility (a little under a mile). No hotel bus and no company transportation. I bought a bike. Others walk. The "lazy" guys have bought motorcycles.
3. The conversion process takes up to 2 months. Includes new medical, written tests (based mostly on FAA questions), English competency test - yes the Chinese test us for our English ability, and a flight test. You will get a Chinese license like the one you would get in the US if you were a foreign pilot and converted a certificate ("valid only when accompanied by . . . "). So far they have not issued any permanent licenses to our guys because the CAAC can't yet figure out who will take responsibility for us. In the meantime, we operate essentially on what you would call a "temporary" certificate or validation.

BTW, I haven't yet tried the local delicacy: donkey!

Hope this helps.

Patrick Murphy

[mtsu_av8er]

[ QUOTE ]

BTW, I haven't yet tried the local delicacy: donkey!

[/ QUOTE ]

Man, I would have been all over that! Donkey Brisket - Mmmm....Mmmm!!

[moxiepilot]

For anyone interested, just also consider it is a different culture with a different mindset. "Yes, sir" does not alsways translate as I understand but rather I will follow your orders as a higher ranking official. The Chinese students I have observed tend to lack the ability to think for themselves in a crew environment. On the otherside the strengths would be memorizing things like nobodies business.

Just be careful in a decision like this. Take a look forinstance at Spartan School in OK who trains Chinese pilots and the dificulties they have. It can only be as difficult overseas.