It's not been obvious to me that the pilot with the best aerodynamic understanding
was the best pilot. I had students with poor math and physics abilities and could
offer only a cobbled explanation of lift, adverse yaw, and angle of attack, but
they knew what view out the canopy should look like, and how to move the controls
to keep the view looking correct. That knowledge enabled them to make the plane go
where they wanted it do. They also got worried about their situation while there
was still time to correct the situation - a major factor in staying alive.

--
Eric Greenwell

IIRC, one of the principal rules Tom Knauff has been teaching is expressed by the acronym: TLAR - This Looks About Right.