[Quilla]

It seems that one has to be wildly intelligent, fast-thinking, mathematically astute, and have an above-average knack for 3-dimensional thinking to master jets.

Do bombers count? My father was a squadron commander in the 385th Bomb Group in WWII and you described him perfectly. :)

[Finny]

Then I expect bombers count, too! God bless your dad. The guys we know are Navy fliers, the oldest ones served in Viet Nam, and a lot of them are just young hot shots! I think pilots in general have to be pretty smart. Your dad's a true hero.