Wuhan-based foreign pilots keep spirits high

Editor's note: In this new series, we share stories and experiences showing how expats are dealing with the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak.

Airline pilot Fabio Andre De Carli, 53, finally returned to Wuhan, Hubei province, to join his family on Feb 15－25 days after he left the city for work.

"I am so glad that I can be home with my family and healthy," said De Carli, a Brazilian who works for China Eastern Airlines.

Despite Wuhan's status as an epidemic hotspot, De Carli and his family decided to stay when the Brazilian government evacuated Brazilian nationals last month.

"Wuhan is our city, and China is our country now. We're living here," said the veteran pilot, who joined the Shanghai-based carrier's Wuhan division in April 2018.

In December, De Carli learned about the outbreak in the city, but he said he and his wife did not worry.

"The authority is doing their best to overcome the epidemic, and the number of confirmed cases is decreasing, too. I think maybe in the near future we can go back to work," he said.

De Carli was assigned to fly from Wuhan to Qingdao, Shandong province, and return on Jan 23, but he said he did not think the return trip would take so long.

After arriving in Qingdao, De Carli was told that Wuhan's airport was closed for epidemic containment, so he stayed in Qingdao overnight and flew to Shanghai on the second day, waiting for available flights to Wuhan.

But on Jan 26, De Carli was required to be quarantined in the hotel in Shanghai for 14 days because one passenger on their flight from Wuhan to Qingdao was suspected of having caught the virus. He said his family, friends and colleagues helped him stay strong.

"Quarantine was the most memorable experience I've had," De Carli said. "I tried to keep calm."

He said he spent an hour exercising daily, such as walking in circles in the 15-square-meter hotel room, and hours on the phone with his wife and two boys in Wuhan as well as taking calls from friends.

"As the day went by, I gained more control of my anxiety," he said.

To De Carli's surprise, he was able to have a small birthday celebration on Feb 3 after his colleagues ordered a cake for him.

China Eastern, which had 67 foreign pilots from 20 nations as of the end of January, has been exploring more international destinations.

China Eastern's foreign pilot division, a team of captains from various nations, has contributed in their own way since the outbreak.

Australian pilot David Honner gave up his holidays and volunteered to fly to any destination if needed. Filipino Elgin Siasat Medina helped bring disinfectant and medical protection items to China Eastern, and asked his wife to look for face masks in the Philippines.

At the company's Wuhan base, "there are 14 foreign pilots from five nations－Brazil, the US, Italy, Sweden and New Zealand. All of them have been extremely supportive. They want to return to their cockpits as soon as possible," said Xu Xiaolin, director of China Eastern's Wuhan foreign pilot's division.

Xu said that when Italian pilot Diego Benedetto was in quarantine in Shanghai, he told his wife and 5-year-old son in Wuhan that everything would be fine.

After completing a flight to Chicago from Shanghai on Jan 31, pilot Jogrim Grotmol, a United States citizen born in Norway, sent the following message to his colleagues:

"Flew to Chicago today, full aircraft! I must say I'm really impressed with all the workers at the airport, and everyone is taking this seriously and at the same time keeping calm! The flight attendants really impress me, being the front-line representatives from China Eastern to our passengers, and they are the most exposed in this situation. They continue to do their job professionally without any complaining! I am proud to work with our team!"