Did you ever wonder why they ended up as AEOp's and Nav's
Well in my case it was 'cos I eat peas off my knife, and c0kced up my interview at Biggin (partly due to a misunderstanding at one point, but primarily because the only paper I read at the time was the Sporting Life which, sadly, didn't have much coverage of US politics other than to offer odds on Jimmy Carter).
It's not just about whether you can pole an aircraft around, it's either about getting the right sort of basic chap who can then be moulded for future stardom etc, or having the ability to 'manoeuvre' your hands around at the bar - both seem to be considered important.
Of course, if you actually decide that it's okay to recruit the majority of pilots for their pole waggling skills, and to (perhaps) just ensure sufficient good eggs enter as officers to provide the future leadership, then there's no reason why NCOs can't fly aircraft.
In fact I'm sure you could produce posters for pilot applicants that promised they'd be LAC's on exiting training with the prospect of corporal's tapes after 5 years for those who really shine and there'd still be 100 applicants for every bang seat.
Dave