Best Pilots

[earl1937]

  Who, in your estimation were and are, the best real pilots these days?
I say a son or daughter of a German man and a Japanese woman!

[Devil 505]

All I could think of was Robin Williams' bit on Tiger Woods. 

[Serenity]

Just, FWIW, I had an interesting conversation with one of my instructors just the other day.

For some background, we train American, Brazillian, Indian, Saudi, French, British, German, Dutch, and I believe a few other nations' fighter pilots here.

In my experience, and in the experience of the instructor, the Indians tend to put the most effort into studying, learning, and practicing, and tend to make the best big wing pilots. However, when it comes to combat, BFM etc., the top pilots are always the American, Brits and Germans. The failure rate is incomparable to the other nations.

[DaveBB]

The failure rate is incomparable to the other nations.

I don't fully understand what this means.  Do you mean the U.S. washes out pilots so that only the best are picked?

[Lusche]

I would have made a great fighter pilot in my time if I had been smaller, brighter, healthier and not so lazy 

[DaveBB]

Interesting fact: Most Aces tended to be below average height, and the majority of their children were girls.

Colonel Boyd said the best fighter pilots were those who could process the Ooda loop the fastest.

The phrase OODA loop refers to the decision cycle of observe, orient, decide, and act, developed by military strategist and United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd. Boyd applied the concept to the combat operations process, often at the strategic level in military operations.

[JOACH1M]

Being 5'7 160-165lbs id be perfect. 

German both sides of family

[Serenity]

I don't fully understand what this means.  Do you mean the U.S. washes out pilots so that only the best are picked?

No, it's more that when BFM training starts, the vast majority of US, British and German pilots pass, and do well, whereas other nations have a very high failure rate given the same primary flight training, same intermediate, and same advanced training.

Basically, when you take a bunch of multinationals (which we do), put them through ALL the same training (which we do), statistically if you're not American, British or German, you're more likely to fail the combat stage.

[FLS]

And less likely to play Aces High.   

[bozon]

I was in flight school and got kicked out for being a lausy pilot, so I have the official answer to that.

On the other hand, they checked how I fly hellicopter, while they should have checked how I fly Mosquitoes. Unfortunately I misses the Mosquitos in our airforce by a mere 37 years.

[Ripsnort]

Not these guys! 

http://video.foxnews.com/v/5135080361001/racing-pilot-hit-by-speeding-plane-narrowly-avoids-death/?#sp=show-clips

[Randy1]

A study was done on star athletes including race car drivers.   In athletes the results were as one would expect.  The race car drivers that were number one  had only one common characteristic.  They could read the label on a fast spinning record.  Only the very top few drivers could do that.   I suspect the great fighter pilots could do the same.

[Widewing]

Not these idiots.....

[icepac]

The best pilot knows his plane inside and out.

Yeager once said that Jack Ridley pulled off some flying that amazed him.

Dick Bong would likely have lived longer.

Both Hoover and Yeager have quite a bit of technical hands on experience that started early on and they are both still alive after some situations that would have claimed guys who didn't have the same skillset.

[earl1937]

The best pilot knows his plane inside and out.

Yeager once said that Jack Ridley pulled off some flying that amazed him.

Dick Bong would likely have lived longer.

Both Hoover and Yeager have quite a bit of technical hands on experience that started early on and they are both still alive after some situations that would have claimed guys who didn't have the same skillset.

Not sure, but Richard Bong was best for that time frame in history, considering what he had to work with and what he was fighting