China's aviation boom is seeing Australian pilots filling desperate demand, with some mainland airlines offering upwards of $400k a year tax-free for captains willing to relocate.
Captain Steve Folpp spent eight years flying the Australian Prime Minister's plane before he retired from the Air Force and started looking for opportunities abroad.
Three-years-ago he relocated his family to Southern China to fly for a mainland airline, but a new lifestyle wasn't the only drawcard.
“The lifestyle here is very different, but very exciting. It's a good experience for us all. And you certainly can’t say no to the money," he told SBS.
Experienced pilots like Mr Folpp are being offered close to triple the salary to work in China's booming aviation industry.
The country's air traffic is set to quadrupal over the next 20 years. There are currently more than 50,000 pilots registered in China and thousands more enrolled in pilot schools. But there’s a shortage of the experience airlines need to expand.
While in Australia mid-level captains can receive around $200 thousand dollars a year before tax, Chinese airlines are offering salaries of $300 to $400 thousand dollars per annum tax-free.
Douglas Ward works with Wasinc International, a company which helps recruit pilots to Chinese carriers. He said demand for pilots in China will last decades.
“No matter what number of pilots we can obtain, we can employ them here,” Mr Ward said.
He also said Australian pilots potentially have an advantage since many mainland airlines look to Australia first.
"It's as if Sydney, Melbourne are in China's backyard. It's seems to be a familiar place to them that they want to go, so it's always one of the first international destinations that's announced.”
But it can be a hard landing for some. Expats in China often find the culture shock, and smog, a challenge.
The red tape is also an obstacle, and transitioning can take up to a year.
“It’s not for everybody, but there are opportunities there that may not be available at home,” Mr Folpp said.
