For pilots who have never worked in Asia before, having the exposure to the East will bring a new kick to their accustomed pilot life. However, pilots may find culture shocks to be unexpectedly challenging and frustrating. The general advice is to have a reliable agent who can apprehend local situations and offer assistance to pilots settling in and adapting to the new environment. APAS is proud having to provide top-notch pilot support service to its pilot friends. Michelle Tsai, one of our senior pilot support representatives at APAS, has helped many of our pilot friends get familiar with the lifestyles in Asia.
We are happy to have her share some of the interesting pilot support stories in this interview. Let’s enjoy her stories!
1. In what situations that pilot will consult agency for help?
APAS has formed good bonding with our pilots; we take a friendly but professional approach when handling pilots' inquiries or problems. Aside from the job related affairs such as their routine medical checks/rechecks and communication needs with the airlines for which they would consult APAS for help, pilots also trust us and come to us with their personal affairs. These might include setting up a bank account, looking for a local attorney or physician, shopping for an insurance plan, getting a driver's license and other daily errands. Or, once in a while our pilots will seek a career change or advancement plans and would like to approach us for recommendations.
2. How do you stay in touch with pilots from all over the world?
Thanks to the advanced technology nowadays, it is relatively easy to stay in touch with pilots from all over the world. All the instant messenger APPs make communication prompt and effortless. Aside from the regular emails to articulate to pilots of the important work-related information formally, I frequently use WhatsApp/LINE/WeChat/Skype to engage friendly conversations, to express our caring. Friendly chats with our pilots allow me to promptly react to their problems and concerns. I also coordinate periodic events such as the APAS annual party, beer party and Christmas party. From those activities not only that we interact with our pilots we also get to meet their families and friends, taking our client relations to the next level.
3. In terms of expat life, can you share what are the differences among different bases in Asia?
APAS pilots living with families usually choose their base in the best interest of their children. Cities with prestigious international schools such as Shanghai, Tianjin and Shenzhen are popular picks when it comes to selecting the base. Less-industrial cities such as Haikou, Nanning and Guilin with better air quality and more nature-infused surroundings also cater to APAS pilots who are raising a family, whereas pilots who are single or not residing with families might prefer to enjoy the fast-paced, convenient city life in Beijing and Seoul. Some of the European APAS pilots whose families are staying in their home country, would choose Berlin or Brussels to have closer commute to their home.
4. From your daily communication with expat-pilots, what do they enjoy the most about living in Asia?
Despite the culture differences could be challenging at times; believe it or not, these differences somehow make living in Asia interesting. For pilots who have never worked in Asia before, "when East meets West" is in fact an eye-opening experience. They enjoy the wide selection of food and hospitality of the locals. Pilots with young children actually feel it's a special opportunity that their children get to be exposed to the Asian culture and language, shaping them to become well-rounded.
5. What kind of complaints/questions do you usually received from expat-pilots?
For the expat pilots working abroad, many time culture differences and language barrier will result in miscommunications, thus doubts and complaints arise. Situations like this usually occur in communication between the airlines and pilots. The working culture of Asian airlines is more or less conservative as compared to Western airlines. Westerners tend to use straight-forward expressions and expect prompt correspondences; whereas Asians are accustomed to take the subtle approach, which might have involved longer time to process. APAS plays a big role as a mediator in minimizing the friction and communication gap between airlines and pilots. In order to ensure both ends reach the optimal level of understanding, I will usually first paraphrase the messages before delivering them to avoid miscommunications.
6. Can you share few of your unforgettable stories with APAS pilots?
We always treat APAS pilots as our friends and family, we'd go the extra mile to help them whenever necessary. I may still recall a little heart-warming story which happened not too long after I joined APAS..... We had a pilot who was working in China. His wife was diagnosed with early-stage cancer and an operation was inevitable. The couple was feeling skeptical about undergoing a medical procedure in China, for they were not too familiar with the language and medical system there. Meanwhile, that pilot was already under a lot of pressure being in the middle of his CCQ training.
To help our pilot remain his emotional balance and complete his training, APAS initiated a good-hearted gesture. Taking into consideration that Taiwan is also equipped with cutting-edge medical technologies and facilities and is in the vicinity of China, APAS proposed to the pilot that he should send his wife to
Taiwan for surgery.
That pilot gladly accepted this proposal, and APAS team was fully supportive throughout the process. Our management introduced a renowned surgeon to conduct the evaluation and surgery. My colleague accompanied pilot's wife at the hospital, and my task was to keep the pilot informed of his wife's updated health status; he could not be with her due to his pre-arranged training schedule. We all stayed up to ensure everything gone smoothly. In the end, that pilot's wife was well-recovered and in good condition post operation; pilot successfully passed his CCQ line check. From time to time, this memorable APAS story is still mentioned among the APAS crew.
Pilots are never alone once they decide to work with APAS. I had the experience of working with a pilot from a politically chaotic country, where obtaining simple documentations such as ATPL license verification letter and passport was surprisingly a chore. It was a two-month battle that the pilot and I fought together. Given the different time zones we were in, I had to stay in contact with him during my normal sleep hours. Together we worked as a team; I had written numerous emails to request documents on his behalf, and he personally tried all resources as well as stationed there to obtain the required documents. We kept our information in sync so we could promptly react to problems arise and make our next move. There were moments when we were feeling frustrated and helpless, but in the end we overcame the obstacles and he successfully joined the airline, submitting all the required documentations.
7. Can you describe your typical work routine at APAS? What keep you excited about APAS? What do you like the most about APAS?
My typical work routine concentrates in the area of pilot support, which puts APAS motto in practice. My job includes but is not limited to acting as a communication channel between airlines/pilots and helping pilots prepare for reporting/medical check/training and settle down in a new environment.
I have stayed with APAS for more than 6 years. Diverse and fast-paced work nature keeps me excited and motivated at APAS. I like to interact with people and to build connections, and APAS happens to provide me such opportunity to utilize my bilingual and people skills. What mostly intrigues me about APAS is that it is a people-oriented, service-focused company. We always treat APAS pilots as our friends and family, we'd go the extra mile to help them whenever necessary. Pilots are never alone once they decide to work with APAS.
Words from editor: Thank Michelle for this wonderful sharing of her pilot support experience. When living abroad, it's natural to get discouraged or overwhelmed by the uncertainties, and this is why APAS Pilot Support Team highly values the services offered to pilots. This team is a group of good friends who understands your needs and provides instant help. From the interview with Michelle, we come to visualize the outlook of working in Asia and know what to expect, and it makes working in Asia less intimidating. Thank you Michelle!