In most aviation branches of most militaries around the world even today, one must be an officer simply to climb into the cockpit. It's a fact that all the extra education and training required to be able to fly qualifies aviators for an officer's commission. On your average AFB or Navy Carrier, the non-coms are your technicians, ordnance handlers, cooks, electricians, helmsmen, and a myriad of other roles aboard that are not aviators.
The higher ranking aviators yes, are your squadron leaders, and wing commanders. Wing Commander as a series is an accurate representation of a carrier flight wing in many respects, right down to at times, higher ranking officers will allow a junior aviator to take command during a lower-risk mission in order to give them valuable command experience.