The successful pilots succeeded because they did not open fire until they were close to the target.
I've always been attracted to cars, and driving is a completely measurable experience: if you qualify last on the grid, you're the slowest, and if you qualify first on the grid, you're the fastest. So no one can say you're slow if you're fast and no one can say you're fast if you're slow.
A lot of my best parts I've been the second choice for, so you never get too egotistical about anything.