I just rewatched the end of Sateda, and not only does Rodney pilot the 'jumper, but he does some pretty tricky close-in maneuvering between the buildings, and then gets them out of there PDQ while being fired upon by the hive ship. Based on that, I think he must be practicing, because that shows some skill, and a hell of a lot of control. Or, they could be doing the same thing with his piloting skills that you've demonstrated they're doing with his shooting skills. It's really sloppy writing for them to clearly show us one thing while telling us the opposite. Excellent analysis!

Also, since I just rewatched the relevant part of Sateda, though Rodney doesn't deny Carson's assertion that he's a terrible shot, he does snap back with a very snarky, "Oh, what, and you're Rambo now?" IMHO, this could be taken as Rodney choosing to ignore Carson's claim in favor of snarking at him. Just a thought.

Oh, and hi! Got here via a link in the newsletter. Very interesting discussion.