David Garcia is one of 22 foreign pilots for China Express, a regional airline. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Copilot Deng Youhong, spoke highly of Garcia.

"Our working atmosphere in the cockpit is great. David is easygoing, optimistic and professional. From him I can learn new things."

On his days off, Garcia loves to explore the city with his wife and two daughters, walking around, sampling local cuisine and shooting videos.

"We love the great city. Everybody's been very nice and hospitable," he said. "My wife and I enjoy the hotpot, while my children like the noodles."

There's too much uncertainty due to the pandemic at the moment," he said. It gets in the way of his ideal state, which is to fly and discover things as a tourist.

With the economic development of China, the need for regional airlines has expanded over the years, along with the use of smaller airplanes. And that calls for more pilots.

China Express said it has 762 pilots in the company, 22 of whom are foreigners. By the end of 2020, 180 routes and 127 navigation points have been opened, covering 43 percent of the country.

"China's aviation market is huge and has great potential for more foreign pilots," a staff member in the human resources department of China Express said. "We are looking for excellent pilots who are native English speakers and who have rich flying experience, a good understanding of the rules and regulations of the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the ability to adapt."