I think we seem to confuse skill with name in lights skill. All late grate ones seem to focus on score or at list K/D. They tend to have good aim and the ability to get out on time. They can be found surrounded by squadies that are willing to die for them in order to get out safely. If you want to meet them, you can find them at the end of runways, not vulching, but picking on slow planes that just took off and had avoid a few others first. To achieve this goal, they had to develop good aim and the ability to fly the one hit wonder planes. They also tend to explain to every one how good they are through their directors of propaganda. Now, I am not saying they could not fight. They can. Some are pretty good too, but they do not fight in the MA unless cornered. So, this is the new style of skill. The improvement over the old one.
Then there is the old style. Read ack ack's post to see that one.
Ded i hope that isn't your description of Grizz. if that is how you see him then i feel you are woefully missleading yourself. i will agree that alot of the "skilled" pilots i have seen lately seem to fall within that description, but Grizz does not.
i may be Grizz's squaddie, but i am far from being one of his fans. there are many things that we as individuals have found we do not agree upon. this does not preclude us from being in the same squad nor does it preclude me from stating what i believe to be the truth about his skill in this game.
so with that being said, in my opinion, which i believe to be unbiased, Grizz is currently one of the best sticks in the game in most types of fighter combat and in most planes. i don't see anyone being able to consistently or easily defeat him. don't duel him best of 5 or best of 10 even, try doing best of 10 for ten days, then at the end see how many out of 100 you have won.
if you did happen to have some amazing and tricky type of flying skill that would throw him in the beginning then i would still say that by the fourth day he will have learned your style and melded it into his own improved upon it and would then beat you about the head and neck with it. that is where Grizz's talents truly lay, he is one of those people who have the ability to watch, learn, addapt and absorb the skills of others he flies with/against and then mutate those skillz to fit into his own style of play. (i watched him do this while he flew with m00t, SkyRock and other good sticks when he first joined the Muppet's, so this is not an unfounded or unsupported statement) he is not a one trick pony, watch him some time and look for the constant changes in style that he uses. you may find yourself watching and then naming the pilots that you see.
well anyways, ack is a damn fine 38 jockie, but he refuses to fly outside of his comfort zone and then talks smack about those that he beats. not much broadbased skill there in my opinion. he refuses to use the 109, and from what i understand most other planes, always duels in his chosen ride, thus its never an equal fight because you as his opponent must always meet him at his advantage. Grizz on the other hand will fly anywhere at any alt in any ride, i have never heard of him refusing no matter how bizarr the plane choice.
finally, and i think most importantly, if you duel Grizz and check your mouth and your attitude at the door he will make sure you have a fun time and if there is something you want to learn he will do his best to teach you. but if you go in and you choose to act like a punk.....well lets just say that your quality of fun is all in your hands.