Fortissimo - you don't allow for the late developers - I've seen plenty of pilots blossom later than some of their - initially - more able peers and go on to surpass them.
If that isn't an increase in ability born of practise and hard work, I don't know what is.
The difference is that the more able student often progresses faster and certainly that seems to be the benchmark for FJ selection - it is a useful metric but doesn't cover all bases.
yes, I concur but some of the worst instructors are those who found the whole thing too easy and then struggle to deal with a less gifted student.
Anyway we seem to have gone off-topic a bit now...
Agree with a but. The slow progress' are often weeded out due to rate of learning. Nothing to say that they could not have made the grade with more time but that in itself is an indicator of potential. Of all the suspended students that I have seen there is probably a good 50% that could have passed given more time. In fact I would say I could get 90% of the students across the line if given the time but in a lot of those cases that just passes the problem onto the squadrons. Rate of learning in itself is a significant indicator.
Also agree on those naturally gifted not all making good instructors. They lack the experience and empathy to understand the struggling student. I remember one in particular who just could not understand what was apparently so obvious, to him, why his student could not get it.