I was wondering the same thing, yaffs. Whose perception was it that they felt inadequate next to a pilot? The pilot's? Was he perhaps a little perturbed that they didn't seem to feel inadequate against him? Who knows?
I tend to disagree with Jerricho a little here, I don't think there's any doubt that a certain level of arrogance exists, almost as a requirement for the job. The crossover between self-confidence and arrogance is a thin one, and very much in the eye of the beholder.