Chen Xiaochun

    654789759@@qq.com

    WHEN he is not flying, Selim Wehber, who lives in Shenzhen now, uses video chat to communicate with his wife in the United States on the other side of the ocean. “We just turn on the computer, and I watch her walking around doing all sorts of things. It feels like that I am right there with her.”

    Wehber is one of some 20 Mexican pilots working in Shenzhen. The 53-year-old SF Airlines captain, who has been flying for 32 years and has accumulated 17,040 flying hours, is one of those experienced pilots that China is in need of.

    A recruitment notice for foreign pilots on the official website of Shenzhen Airlines says that, to become a captain with the airline, a pilot needs to have at least 3,000 flying hours and over 500 hours on the type of aircraft they intend to fly with the company.

    According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), as of the end of 2015, there were 524 foreign captains working for airlines based on the Chinese mainland, among whom 106 were Korean, 71 were American and 44 were Mexican.

    What does it take to get these experienced airmen here in a foreign country? The Shenzhen Daily has interviewed three Shenzhen-based Mexican captains to hear how they got here.

    High salary, flexible schedules

    “China is the best-paying place for pilots in the world now. The aviation industry in China is expanding. You have many airplanes but not enough pilots. In order to bring in the pilots, you pay a lot,” said Wehber, who has plenty of flying experience with different airlines based in different countries including the United States, Mexico and Malaysia.

    A pilot’s salary varies based on their experience and the airline they work for. Hainan Airlines, for example, offers up to US$250,000 to US$300,000 per year. Generous as some airlines may be in China, the pilots still have to work for it.

    Alejandro Zamora Quiñones, one of those foreign pilots that first came to Shenzhen, agreed that the salary here is better than his previous jobs. “The salary for pilots at Shenzhen Airlines ranges from US$192,000 to US$300,000 per year,” said the captain after working for six and a half years at Shenzhen Airlines.

    Though the salary is truly attractive for pilots around the world, not all pilots are willing to come here. When a pilot accepts a job on foreign soil, they are pulled out of their home. It’s not an easy decision to make. Some of them bring their family here while some live apart from loved ones. But all in all, many value the quality of life over money.

    Take J (who prefers anonymity), a 38-year-old who has been working for Shenzhen Airlines for six years, as an example. He came to China because he loves flying around the world. And he brought his family with him to Shenzhen.

    The flexible working schedules here are also a plus for the pilots. Wehber flies about 40 hours every month. Normally, he works for 28 days and has 14 days off, during which he travels back to the United States to spend time with his family.

    As for Zamora and J, their work schedules are four days on and two days off. Besides, if they work for the company for four years, starting from the fourth year, they can choose five consecutive days off per month as a benefit for renewing their contract.

    Career prospect

    The aviation industry in China is booming. From 2010 to 2015, China witnessed an increase in the number of airline companies from 43 to 55 and an increase in airports from 175 to 210, according to the CAAC.

    But in countries like Mexico and Brazil, the aviation industry and the overall economic situation are not faring as well.

    “Right now the situation in Mexico is kind of a problem. The economic situation and the flight industry have become very slow. So I decided to go overseas. I came to China because the culture of China is very nice,” said Zamora. “Also, China has a large demand for pilots,” he added.

    In Mexico and the United States, every airport has small airplanes and one can get a training lesson and start learning to fly at any airport, thus experiencing all kinds of weather and situations. “If there were small airplanes in China, you would have better-prepared Chinese pilots,” commented Wehber.

    A different flying experience

    Though China is in great demand for experienced pilots, it’s not that easy to get into the airlines in this country.

    “The standards, in terms of age, experience and flying time, are higher than other countries and the training is also tougher,” said Zamora.

    According to Zamora, they need to keep healthy by doing exercise and eating well. They have medical examination and simulator training every six months.

    “They put us under a lot of pressure because they want to have good pilots here,” said Zamora, adding that he likes it because “if you do this kind of training in China, you will be in a higher position when you go to another place.”

    One phenomenon in China that makes the expat pilots feel weird is the frequent flight delays.

    “In China, it’s very common for delays to occur,” J said that what made him feel strange is once when they were ready to go after four or five hours’ delay, the passengers didn’t want to get on board until they were paid by the airline.

    He explained that, however, the delay was not the fault of the airline, but the weather conditions which made all the airplanes delayed.

    For Zamora, there is another reason for the frequent delays.

    “It’s because of the air traffic control. All the airplanes are waiting on the ground until they say ‘OK, now you can go’ after four hours with all the passengers on board. In my country, this doesn’t exist,” said Zamora, adding that sometimes some foreigner pilots get tired of the situation.

    But things are getting better. Zamora told the Shenzhen Daily that he learned the situation will improve and that the government is trying to open more space and be more flexible.

    Shenzhen a second home

    “I was very impressed with how developed everything is here. Your infrastructure, your roads are amazing. Your buildings are incredible. Look at this, look at where we are right now (Shekou Sea World). This is incredible. You have a ship here in the middle of a shopping mall with restaurants,” said Wehber.

    Zamora feels that Shenzhen is his second home, better than any other city in China. “In Shenzhen, I have been here for many years. I love this place. This is my place.”

    Wehber added that SF Airlines is an amazing company with amazing potential and he believes it is going to keep growing and growing.

    According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, as of the end of 2015, there were 524 foreign captains working for airlines on the Chinese mainland, among whom 106 were Korean, 71 were American and 44 were Mexican. Around half of the Mexican pilots worked in SZ.