Arty F
Your premise that if someone has the smarts to be a pilot he has the smarts to be an officer is wrong.
I know several NCA that, having displayed the aptitude for pilot training at OASC on initial application, were knocked back on officer qualities (usually because they were deemed to be a little immature).
There are several NCO pilots from the AAC who failed on officer qualities when trying to transfer (no offence chaps).