I leapt out of bed when I heard this. How sad that this has come to pass.
I recall the late, great Geoffrey Wellum saying that the cadets he met on his visits to Cranwell were 'right out of the top drawer'.
On the one hand I am glad that he is not alive to hear that the inheritors of the legacy of the Few have sold their country out by flying for China.
On the other hand I would have loved to have heard what he had to say about ex military pilots working for the Chinese. I have just heard Nick Robinson on the BBC Today Programme ask if they are they traitors. The public will surely think them so.
I recall swearing my allegiance to Queen and Country on the Holy Bible at Cranwell. I never forgot it and would never go back on the deal.
We have just seen the most patriotic demonstration of faith in our country with the splendid Queen's funeral and few of us will forget the sight of the Guards, the most loyal of soldiers, acting as pallbearers.
These pilots are utterly selfish and utterly naive with it. China has been remarkably successful at infiltrating every level of our society in ways too numerous to mention. The Confucius Institute has found a place in many British Universities not least the Institute of Education in London.
Something is seriously wrong with our culture and values and this country needs to wake up pretty quickly to all the threats.
In the meantime what to do about these pilots? The BBC have just broadcast that a Bill will be fast tracked through Parliament to deal with the problem. I don't think we need these pilots back here and I don't think any airline needs to employ them. I also don't want my taxes funding their pensions.