I know from my experience, 26+ yrs (141's-C-17's) the new pilots we send to UPT are much better qualified than the studs I went through with in 1986-87. I'm in the Reserves so we can be picky, but it seems that nowadays the AF is much more selective on who we send to UPT and then trying to insure these "highly qualified" candidates graduate UPT, whereas when I went through they let more guys/gals into the program and TRIED to wash-out as many as possible. My class was hit hard, more than a 60% wash-out rate and we were'nt an abberation at the time, started with over 60 students and graduated around 24. Some of the younger pilots entering my unit tell me they started with 25 and graduated 23, one said Nobody washed out of their class! hell we washed out about one stud every 10 days. I do believe that the T-38 was an equalizer and am eternally grateful I got to fly such a machine, but the T-1 has produced some exceptional pilots from my perspective.