Rusty,
Aye a bit harsh mate!
Penguina,
As long as your answers make good sense and you demonstrate that you know what you are talking about (plus good grammer and spelling of course) you should have no problem. I remember spending several hours writing and re-writing my answers and wondering if I sounded like a muppet. Which I did! The essay questions are important but as long as you make an effort with them there is no need to worry.
As for criteria for a future airline pilot and how you meet those; yes tough one as you don't want to come across as full of yourself but also you want to suggest that you have the skill/experience/potential to match those attributes. For example things like evidence of teamwork, working with customers - if you tell them you have some past experience of those two and have both academic and non-academic qualifications that would suggest your potential to fulfill the role of a team player and cope with the cerebral side of flying I'm sure you would be on the right lines.
If on the other hand you told them you were bloody brilliant at everything, your dad is a BA Training Captain and you were the most popular person at school - not to mention captain of the footie and rugby team and therefore, in your opinion, already had all the required skills in abundance, and would make a first rate airline pilot, I doubt you would fare so well.
Saying you feel you have some of these skills is fine, as long as you can back that up with evidence of why you think that, and be prepared to demonstrate it at the interview phase!
I'm sure you will have no problem, good luck with the next stages.
