>>28392750

Its pretty much a leftover from the days of knights and traditionally commissioned officers. Helpless nobles and rich kids get taken for ransom, enlisted are bullet and sword repositories.

>>28392750
it is not

and it is a morale thing
tank crew men will have guns (heck they could snag top mounted mg if they are lucky), and will be trained in fighting if its necessary, they are a threat

parachuting pilot cannot fight back, landed pilot even if he is armed hardly can do fuck all

basically is immoral to kill someone who posses no threat to you

>>28392790
This really. In a real shtf war I doubt the chivalry will last long.

>>28392750
Because if you didn't score a guaranteed kill on the tank, there's always a risk that the crew can return to the tank and use it against you.

>>28392913
Hell that chivalry didn't last much into WWII. Why you would unload on a tank crew? 5 to 7 enlisted that have rifles or some form of PDWs. Got rid of a tank, now you have to deal with a fucking fire team. Why would you not shoot a downed pilot? Higher ranked officer with a pistol that basically dropped into your lap. Free Intel. He's worth more alive.

>>28392750

It's a rule that wasn't well thought out. Pilots are still issued pistols and often relatives of politicians that go into military service become Aircrew (Bush Junior, That one Britbong prince that deployed to the Falklands shindig). Tank crews? Fuck'em, they aren't Aircrew.

>>28392750
Because all pilots are officers, crewmen aren't, The officer from an aircraft might have been taking pictures, might know military secrets or secrets about their aircraft (unlikely), While maybe the commander of an MTB might know what color his tank is painted.

And even a simple officer is valued at about a dozen enlisted men or at least a half dead whore in a trade or ransom.

Its not "considered bad", its literally a warcrime

>>28393002
This.

Aircrew under parachute are not lawful combatants.

>>28392750
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions

>>28392750
firstly because a pilot has a sidearm and a flight suit, tankmen have assault rifles and body armor

secondly because when the tankmen get out theyre getting out onto an active battlefield with allies who they can help, the pilot is most likley in the middle of fucking nowhere and not going to do anyhting

thirdly because you have about 5 seconds to shoot the tankmen before they get to cover and retreat and eventually come back at you with a new tank, a pilot has to hide out from your forces and sneak all the way back to his own side before he has any chance of being able to use his skills against you

fourthly because teh pilot probably has valuable intel about planes, bases, operations etc that you want to extract from him, tankmen know about their tank and as soon as you capture and disassemble such a tank you already know more than they can tell you

>>28393181
>:^)
>all terrorism is state sponsored