Every time he flies, Tarcisio stands by the door of his plane, welcoming his Chinese passengers. Hardly speaking any Chinese, he can still read the curiosity in their eyes after he greets them: "Why is a foreign pilot working for a Chinese airline?"
In 2002, Sichuan Airlines bought five airplanes from Brazil. Short of pilots who are skillful at flying and caring for such airplanes, the company invited 15 pilots from the Brazilian Airlines in January 2003. This is the first time over the last few decades that China has invited foreign pilots, who have won the favor of their passengers with their experience and skills, to work on domestic flights.
38-year-old Tarcisio is one of the 15 pilots China has invited. With 18 years of experience, he has flown a total of 8,500 hours. Although he has been to many countries around the world, Tarcisio had never flown over China, a mysterious, beautiful country in his eyes. "I want to go to China, even at my own expense," he told his friends many times.
Today, Tarcisio has not only fulfilled his dream, but has also traveled around China in his airplane. "I was very excited, and I couldn't wait to start work as soon as I got used to the time difference," he says.
On April 3, 2003, he was on his first flight duty, flight 3u-461, between Chengdu and Kunming. He put on his brand-new suit and went to check his plane ahead of schedule. Then, he stood by the ladder to greet every passenger on his first flight in China.
Today, Tarcisio is used to his life and work in China. When I asked him about his impression of China, he happily said like a child, "China? Amazing! I wish that I could work here longer!"
(China Pictorial September 24, 2003)
