Brazilian crew commander over China's blue skies
( 2003-09-17 17:03) (China Pictorial)
 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!"
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