In real life the scoring ends when you die.
Kill to Death is all that really counts with fighters, and you can't properly mix fighter scores with vehicles and bombers to come up with a good total ranking. If you don't land you don't score! If you ditch in friendly territory, then maybe some minor adjustment.
As a result these categories of fighter, vehicle, bomber, attack, should be kept apart and not totalled into one best rank.
If, for example, Sunchaser was the best bomber pilot, then Sunchaser should be listed as the #1 in that category. His bomber score shouldn't be mixed with the late Citabria's fighter score to try to decide which one ranks #1. They both rank #1 in their respective categories.
Keep it simple. Leave out all those percents, time on, time in, time out, damage, etc. etc.
Rank the #1 in each category as the one who can do the most and live to tell about it. Quit digging up wrecked planes to view the gun camera film to see if the dead pilot gets credit for something. Just send the family his Purple Heart and his belongings.
Ranger Bob
[This message has been edited by RangerBob (edited 02-03-2001).]