Anybody who spends a lot of time hands-on, has a deep interest in how their machine works, has never repeated a mistake, and will listen to anybody who seems to have something useful to say.
I once went on a 2 hour ferry trip with an experienced man with about 20 times my hours and at least that much times my experience. At the end of the trip, he insisted on sitting down and discussing what we had BOTH learned from the flight. That's as good way of telling a good pilot as I know, whatever they fly.
If you're talking pure stick and rudder skills, I'd put my money on competition pilots. Whether it's a glider pilot getting the last ounce from a thermal, an aerobatic pilot flying manoeuvres to the nearest foot or degree, a microlight pilot stopping in a 100m box deadstick from 1000ft - anybody having to compete against others on their skill is going to reach the best level of stick and rudder skill.
And no, I'm not a competition pilot, I'm mostly a test pilot. But nonetheless, that's what I think - test piloting skills lie entirely elsewhere.
G
[ 11 January 2002: Message edited by: Genghis the Engineer ]</p>