Pukin Dog, why do you say that? Lots of good, even great pilots get shot down. Was he a bad pilot to begin with? I never heard that he was a BAD pilot, though from all I have read indicates he was a middle of the road pilot. Did you have personal experience with him, or read it somewhere he was an accident waiting to happen?
He was my Commanding Officer in my first squadron, and I never remember seeing him fly, so I cannot comment. I did know he was only two years removed from being a POW, and was in pretty bad shape physically, and often wondered how he got command of a squadron, even though it was just a training squadron. How on earth could he have got flight clearance with his history?
Point is, I have no love for McCain politically. But he did serve his country under difficult conditions. If Stockdalel said he was a good man and served well, I believe him. Doesn't mean I support McCain-Feingold or anything else he stands for politically, but unless someone knows he did something detrimental to our country when he was a POW, I wish they would come out and just tell us what it was.
In flight school, McCain did nothing to prove exceptional ability; in fact he wrecked a plane or two. When that happens, if one is even lucky enough to stay in the program, they DONT get a fighter, nor to they get an Attack jet like the A-4. Most don't get anything but a ticket home if they perform like McCain did.
So what I am saying, is that although he was an under-performer, he was put in a position of great responsibility. That should never happen. I cant say if a better pilot would have spotted the SAM that got him, but when people call him a 'War Hero' it bothers me, because there is nothing heroic about getting shot down.
What happened after that is between God and John McCain. Do I believe McCain's account of his POW service? No.