Japan's loss of skilled pilots early in the war was especially damaging because too few replacements were available. Restricting selection to the highest-scoring candidates could leave the best pilots without enough comrades to sustain operations. Taking candidates from a wider range of scores creates a larger force and spreads enemy attention across more aircraft. Some of those additional pilots can improve through experience, and others perform better in combat than their test results suggest. The percentile examples illustrate the argument for sufficient numbers rather than a precise reconstruction of Japanese entry requirements.
Notable Point · 1:18:35-1:19:37
Why an air force needs more than its highest-scoring pilots
A broader pilot intake can sustain wartime numbers, support exceptional aviators, and give candidates room to demonstrate abilities that selection tests miss.