I agree with all the “hero” talk being a load of crap
I think you have a child's view of the word "hero". You think it's only a term reserved for knights in shining armour and everyone else is nothing.
For me, a mother who works two jobs to raise her kids is a hero. A couple who foster a dozen orphans in their home are heros. A researcher who open sources their life-saving research to make sure the results are cheaply available to the world is a hero.
... and yes, a pilot who performs a technically difficult task with laser focus while under extreme stress of death or injury and does so successfully is a hero in my book.