...I think this Tamyia tooling is one of their older ones, so it still has a pilot...
I don't think Tamiya has stopped including pilots in their new kits, though. The P-38 has a seated pilot, for example. But yes, I'm with you guys, too. I like to have a pilot or other figure with my airplane kits. And with armor kits. I grew up on Monogram and Revell in the 70s. I was surprised when I returned to building models in the late 90s, that most manufacturers had stopped including figures. But it made sense, since so many modelers said they didn't like, or were afraid to try, painting the figures. And I saw that aftermarket makers stepped in to provide them to those who wanted them.
Still, I loved Monogram's USAAF aircrew from the multiengined airplane kits, and the TBD figures!