Nothing focuses your mind quite like flying a jet. That's one reason NASA requires that astronauts fly T-38s: it forces us to concentrate and prioritize in some of the same ways we need to in a rocket ship.
When we needed a long extension on the Canadarm 1 in order to be able to inspect the outside plus sensors on the end, NASA . . . looked through the whole world for who had the best capability and the most promising ability to build something and Canada won.