I consider someone a good fighter when they put up a tough fight, allied or enemy, regardless of what they are driving... air, sea, or land... with no regard as to whether I like them or not...
Moving around a bit here recently, I have had the opportunity to fly with some of them that I had previously only flown against. It's amazing how many players are really fun, good people... it's even more amazing how many of them absolutely loathe each other even though if they simply flew the same side/squad they'd probably be best friends.
A lot of these guys aren't forum potatos or loud mouths... some of them don't even tune 200 (the horror!), but they are the memorable pilots/drivers (that my ADD brain can currently conjure anyway)
So my list:
kvuo75 - unreal in a 37mm
BushLT - really good in an F6F
OddCAF - all around sea/air/land buttkicker
Pand - No better P-51B pilot out there, may be as good as 999000 in 17s
Tazz69 - If I had to pick a swiss army knife co-pilot/driver/gunner, he'd be my guy
Shadow - GREAT pilot
JETSOM - Absolute terror in a Ki-84
Cobia38 - A-20 King
Havoc - A-20 king
sc0tch - beats my bellybutton in whatever
Krupnski - Tater conservationist - fun DA fights (when I don't hit a tree/ground trying to stay as slow as he can stay)
Redbull - K4 King
who (hey, he's a lot better than me anyway - and when he doesn't HOmerge, it's a fun fight)
SQUAT - No better ally, no worse enemy (on 200 anyway) and a great stick
999000 - Amazing gunnery skills
DragonH5 (I think that is his name, haven't seen him in awhile) - One of the best buff killers I have run into
Triton28 - Great pilot
LilMak - P-47 King
IraqVet - Lives in GVs, causes much hate and discontent
AKPepprr - Great TnB pilot, Squeaker
AKFulcrm - Great stick
Doc72CH - Smart tactician, great bomber pilot
Zaphod - Great dogfighter, attacker, etc
Bruv119 - Amazing pilot all the way around, unreal accuracy
Toougly - Great flight lead, Whatever the job is, gets it done
Edmo - Awesome flight lead, whatever needs done he does
A8Prowlr - One of the best leaders in the game
ET37 - Was collecting social security before Redbull was born, still kicking tulips nightly <S>
DHawk - A more prolific base snagger there is not
Swoops - Best Kiwi Pilot in the game (just kidding Coombz, he's really an Aussie)
Changeup - Excellent pilot, the gold standard in sh*t disturbance and causer of hate and discontent
Zoney - Excellent buff killer
Snailman - Excellent buff killer, fount of knowledge
Magoo - Best wing leader I have had the pleasure to fly with
Paladin3 - Probably the guy I'd want with me if I really had to go to war (Quote: <NAME OMITTED>, TRAINING ARENA. NOW.)
Twinboom - Always feel better when I see him upping with me at a capped field - Amazing stick
Dolby - not JUST an awesome 109 pilot
vinkman - great fighter
latrobe - great fighter, one of my votes for best sportsman
nrshida - the most zen pilot in AH
nishizwa - possibly the most underrated pilot in the game (hint: dump girlfriend, quite job, fly moar!)
Dodger - Embarrasses me even when he's in a far inferior plane
Sure only a few would win (or have won) a KOTH, or pwnd every plane in the canyon, but these are some of the people that it would (to me at least) be a lesser game without.