Quote Originally Posted by JMA View Post
...they could somehow devise an assessment of the actual pilots to see how they measure against actual performance. meaning you know who the "hard chargers" are and now are looking for common characteristics.
However, two things intrude:

Number of type pilots needed and desires of would be (and serving) pilots. Sometimes people have to do things they do not want to do and they get annoyed and leave as soon as they can legally do so -- and while they're in that job they didn't want, they will not do as good a job as might otherwise be possible.

The previously mentioned statutory requirement for 'fairness' in all things means that occasionally a marginal type must be allowed to do a job he or she may not be totally suited for. Don't read that as a slam on female pilots, some of them are more Tiger like than a lot of guys.

Add the fact that a bad combat experience can breed excessive caution, a risk averse Commander can insist on strict obedience to the 'rules.' All sorts of thing intrude during and after a really effective selection process. Selection for a specific quality is easy, maintaining that in the face of diverse requirements and situations is less so. In this case, there is an easy answer -- but the solution is not so easy. Happens when you deal with people, the pesky creatures will not always stay the way you wish them to.....