The South African company was seeking a number of fixed wing and helicopter test pilot instructors to work at an undisclosed location in "Far East Asia" with an initial contract commitment of four years through some advertisements. The requirements included some essential qualifications with graduate degree from military test flight schools in the United States or Great Britain. Details of the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) management structure point out that the company has been responsible for the academy’s "Military Operational Flight Training" for both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. TFASA has headhunted former officers who played key roles in some of the UK’s most sensitive defence projects, including development of the F-35B Lightning stealth jet and Britain’s aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

Using TFASA and other companies as intermediaries, China targeted those with direct access to the latest, closely guarded, defence initiatives. This year China has enlisted as many as 24 RAF (Royal Air Force) and Royal Navy officers, again on promises of enormous wages and lengthy contracts.

"China’s espionage is breaking all the traditional walls."

According to media report, TFASA also runs a flight school for Chinese airline pilots in South Africa as a joint venture with one of China's largest state-owned aeronautic companies, AVIC. Australia's Defence Minister, Richard Marles, said that he had asked the defence department to investigate claims that former Australian military pilots are being recruited by the South African flight school to work in China. Marles said, "I would be deeply shocked and disturbed to hear that there were personnel who were being lured by a paycheck from a foreign state above serving their own country." 

Western pilots flying in China is nothing new. The exploitation of the American Volunteer Group, Flying Tigers, is just one episode to mention. Since the news of Beijing hiring western pilots has broken, several former pilots have acknowledged that it has been well known, subtly calling it "brain drain", which has been going on for a while. China’s espionage is breaking all the traditional walls. As its need for modern technology for both commerce and business is growing, we may discover such clandestine activities as could lay our hands. The Chinese efforts to build a modern navy and air force is part of its design to scale up its military power to be more assertive in geo-politics.