Whats a pilot worth?

[Osprey]

Airforces never ran out of machines, only people to fly them, at least especially experienced ones. If this is regarding scoring I would put a lot on the pilot, if it's about campaign I would put even more on the pilot.

A great example was the months prior to D-Day which focused on battering the LW fighter elements so they could not defend the invasion, JG2 seriously reduced in pilot availability. And later the failure of Bodenplatte, which was successful in aircraft destroyed on the ground but bugger all pilots, in contrast to the Luftwaffe losing pilots they badly needed behind enemy lines. The allies were restocked inside a week so it overall just weakened the luftwaffe further - Galland was fuming at the whole plan.