Chesty Morgan:
http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewc...&context=jhpee
Are you sure you meant to link to an article showing that altitude impairs the performance of smokers more than non-smokers? It did include the excerpt you quoted, with the criticism that the measures used in that (different) experiment were subjective.
(The smokers took 10.6 seconds to regain control of an aircraft at sea level and 17.3 seconds at 10000 feet - a 4.7 second increase; the non-smokers took 12.7 seconds at sea level and 15 seconds at 10,000 feet - a 2.3 second increase at altitude).
I can see that smoking could protect you from acute mountain sickness, but climbing a mountain (long exposure, physical effort) is rather different from being a pilot (short exposure to altitude; little physical exertion).
The conclusions of this study:
Smoking, acute mountain sickness and altitude acclimatisation: a cohort study
Conclusions Smoking slightly decreases the risk of AMS but impairs long-term altitude acclimatisation and lung function during a prolonged stay at high altitude.