smotalchaos
Recruit
- 4
- Feb 3, 2009
well...i guess the title says it all.....
who had the best pilots?
- Thread starter smotalchaos
- Start date
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lesofprimus
Brigadier General
The Germans had the best pilots for the first few years of the War, then attrition took its toll...
Delta was pretty good. But so was United, Lufthansa, and KLM. Tough choice, especially with new contenders like Southwest and Frontier. Maybe some of the smaller ones like Alaska or Northwestern. Jetblue doesn't have a great reputation for best pilots but they might have gotten stereotyped.
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
That was just plain wrong Amsel, funny as sh!t, but wrong.....
SoD Stitch
Banned
LOL!
Good one, Amsel . . . . .
How about boat pilots? Do they count? I think the boat pilots in the Panama Canal are the best, closely followed by the ones in Bremerton, WA.
evangilder
"Shooter"
Honda makes a good Pilot...
claidemore
Senior Airman
Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
I would say Quantas - never had an accident.
"Wings" had a better one but the series went to hell.
Beside Texas Instruments and the Blackberry, didn't Apple have a good one?
Heinz
Captain
That like 'Qantas' Njaco? 
Corsair82pilot
Airman
I think Capt Sully and his river landing proved it's US Airways. I'm a little prejudiced in that direction, though!
View attachment AB 320-S.bmp
I think Capt Sully and his river landing proved it's US Airways. I'm a little prejudiced in that direction, though!
View attachment 85943
Good one!
I actually fly US Airways quite a bit. Good prices, and friendly crews.
Corsair82pilot
Airman
I hope so! Thanks. We appreciate the business.
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
In the spirit of the intention of the thread, I believe that the LW and the IJN had a few fighter pilots who could be labeled the best because of their years of operational experience. No British or US or other of the combatants had pilots like Hartmann or Saburo Sakai with the backlog of successful ACM. The Allied pilots got sent back to be instructors or to sell war bonds or something after a lot of success. However, I believe the pilots who received consistently the best training before going into combat were the USN pilots.
Corsair82pilot
Airman
The Japanese and German pilots were in it 'til the end, so the ones who lived long enough were the best. Guys like Dick Bong, Foss, Gentile, et al, would have had higher numbers of kills if they didn't get cycled back to the states. But what is more important? Having a few good guys at the front doing most of the work? Or sending the great ones home to teach the new guys and building a large force of good pilots?
It's a shame Bong went out the way he did.
It's a shame Bong went out the way he did.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The Americans could afford to send thier experienced pilots home as there was a good reserve of fresh pilots rotating to the fronts whereas the Germans and Japanese didn't have that ability.
You notice especially how the Luftwaffe Experten were the "old guard" from the early days and very few German pilots from about 1942-43 onwards made it to ace status because of the shortening time period of training.
I'm not as familiar with the Soviet or British pilot's policies, but I believe the Soviets kept thier pilots in for the duration as well.
You notice especially how the Luftwaffe Experten were the "old guard" from the early days and very few German pilots from about 1942-43 onwards made it to ace status because of the shortening time period of training.
I'm not as familiar with the Soviet or British pilot's policies, but I believe the Soviets kept thier pilots in for the duration as well.
Konigstiger205
Staff Sergeant
The German pilots performed very well, even when outnumbered and outgunned, so my choice goes with them. Luftwaffe did one hell of a job against all odds until the end of the war. I would like to add a special mention towards the pilots of my country, who are often forgotten, although they where outnumbered and outgunned as well, even from the beginning.Like the Germans they fought until the end, for Romania, not for nationalism-socialism or communism....
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
On the whole, the British fighter pilots held their own with the Germans and so did the Americans when they got into the fight. And, based on results, the British and American bomber pilots were better than the Germans. The USN pilots were very well trained in navigation, flying in bad weather and at night and airmanship skills, by necessity and their gunnery training was possibly more extensive than anyone's.
