Will there be a time soon where you'd need actual NPCs to pilot other ships in your 'fleet' as opposed to the instantaneous creation of invisible NPCs that sort of happens now with squads?
Just thinking that people could be using this time to train future fighter pilots, like we do for ground squads with patrolling is they were allowed to fly with us and gain XP (and slow us down if they have lesser piloting skills).
Well currently you can train any NPC - including fighter, freighter or warship pilots - if you send them on a patrol route (with a currently max. obtainable Level 10). Not sure if that helps :)
That said I agree that it would be neat if the "invisible" pilots would at some point be finally replaced with the actual NPCs.