...and I was trying to feel a little good about all this and there you go appealing to my cynicism.
Red October was the first thing that came to mind when the aircraft simply had its transponder go off without any warning-and no indication of a fireball or explosion.
I recall watching videos of test pilots in college. What I was told by the F4 pilot who was our ROTC commander was that when a pilot is riding an aircraft down like that, they never stop talking—they are trying to solve the problem right into the ground.
While this was not a test pilot situation, I always keep this in the back of my mind when something like this happens.
If you were a young Japanese pilot, running one of the hottest commodities in the air would the allure of a ton of money, hot women, and a life as a hero in China cause you to want to turn off the transponder and make a run for the hills?
How much do WE pay for the most recent Migs?
It is something to consider. I am pretty confident OUR pilots would not choose to go to China. But life here is pretty good.