Thedude

The one recruiter I have been speaking with said the company has suspended interviewing/screening until the Olympics are over and the Chinese wont convert any license for the same period. Not to mention, I just found out the the CAAC wont recognize a temp lic to do a conversion, you have to wait to get the permanet from the Feds.

I too am looking at a non type rated job but I have to initially buy the -400 type with a reimbursement over X years. Before I do that I need a job offer mainly because $15k aint chump change. To my knowledge there is currently only one Chinese carrier that will hire you with out a -400 type and will recognize time in the -200. As the year progress we shall see what happens.

Of course there is a carrier in SZX that wants you to put up a $50k bond to go work for them. When I say bond, they really mean $50k or your money in Chinese bank. Yeah, I think not.

Maybe a work visa is a different story but then again if you have been in China long enough you know they created beaurcracy.

Jett8 is only hiring F/Os right now in the classic. Being an f/o is not a problem but the fact they they dont pay for any housing or taxes and since Singapore is a VERY expensive place. So one would litleally be the working poor for that job. That is assuming the pay is what they sent me last year. $4k/month

Plus MKAir went out of biz back at the end of May and that put quite a few more 74 drivers on the street.

What I am trying to say is, on the surface there looks like there a quite a few jobs out there. When you start doing some digging you start finding out otherwise.

KoruPilot

MK was back in the air the following week; did they stop again? Their new financiers were also talking about 744's for them.

Bummer about Jett8. It does make me wonder who the heck they are getting.

The Olympics are over in a couple of months, so I am curious as to why they would stop recruiting. The B744 type takes six weeks, and mine starts in three, so the time line is really not a problem.

I went in with a bunch of 777 time, which frankly is more similar to the 744 than the classic (I'm also rated on the classic). There is no money up front and though they did require a bank bond in the past, they now only require that you sign the normal training bond, pro-rated over three years. I should mention that they do want a fair bit of part 121 command time, and that could perhaps be a sticker for some. Also, a lack of glass time is becoming a problem, or so it would appear.

I have to say that so far my guy's have been very easy to deal with. I had my own handler and was put up in a nice furnished apartment for the duration of exams and medicals (two of each). As far as beauracracies, I've found the Chinese CAAC and Consulate people to be not only friendly, but as or more efficient than the western ones that I have dealt with.

Which contract agency are you dealing with? I have found that it can be not only the agency, but also the specific recruiter that can make or break even getting a contract.

I think that if you keep looking you will find after the Olympics the hiring picks up quite quickly. Right now many of the big airlines think there will be a plethora of Americans with all sorts of time and in their 30's desperate for jobs; they always do this, and they always end up with a shortage.

cesnacaptn

There's something I don't understand about contract work. I have about 7000 hours, 1800 pic CRJ, and about 1500 SIC 737 with a PIC type rating. It looks like I'm basically qualified for a 737 copilot job (probably not captain CRJ since it's been 2 years). How does one progress in his career. Without say 500 hours PIC 737, will I ever be able to get a captain slot? How about widebodies? It seems like all the jobs want time in type or similar type.