Here’s the BBC Link:
bbc.co.uk

I read Stratfor (you need a subscription) and it notes that most Syrian pilots are Sunni. It is the logistical support crews that are Alawites (the same group the Regime comes from).

This has the potential to lower the regime’s confidence in it’s air force. Up to now the air force had seen fewer defections than the other branches.

It is useful to note that Syrian’s Org chart has their Attack Helicopters as part of the Air Force, not the Army.