Although I never thought I would say so, I must agree with the Guv.
I learned to fly in the Alaska bush. By luck alone I managed to stay alive for about 12,000 hours there. I also managed to stay alive in places where people were shooting at each other. Several of my colleagues were not so lucky. Now as a Check Captain on the 747 I have the opportunity to observe pilots from many backgrounds. Almost without fail I find that someone who has spent many years actually flying airplanes has very good hands. But having good hands is only part of being a good pilot. I find that ex-military pilots tend to be good commanders and managers. Pilots that have a lot of multi-crew time usually have good CRM skills. Pilots that have been to expensive aviation schools, like Embry Riddle, or UND, are balanced pilots. I have flown with test pilots from the US and Russia, they are smooth and smart. Commuter pilots can think on their feet, and fly a great ILS.
Bush pilots however, are meteorologists, baggage loaders, mechanics, sometimes test pilots, customer service reps, loadmasters, and hazardous materials experts. Bush pilots regularly operate in horrible weather, in ill-equipped aircraft, to places where there are no runways. Bush pilots take the dying and sick to the hospital when no one else can get there. Bush pilots get the food and medical supplies to people that may not live without them. In Alaska many small villages depend on the mail and food the Bush pilots brings.
Sitting in the comfortable cockpit of a modern jet is very nice, emergencies are rare. But if my family were on the airplane, and something bad were to happen, I would want a Bush pilot at the controls.
There are many people that may disagree, but they haven’t been there, have they?