I was actually putting a line in the water. It doesn't matter where you set the bar, you will always have above average and below average pilots relative to the standard set.
You just need pilots that will fit into the company culture, that have the requisite experience, the right psych profile and aptitude to do well. The pilots that fail the selection have come up short in one of those categories. The bar set at selection matches the entry into the training system and the worst pilot selected should be able to pass the training at minimum standard otherwise the recruiters have failed.
Don, I remember when.....