This might work for a fan-edit, (radical)

First time I saw ANH, I was caught up slightly by Luke and the X-wing. It was a little like going from an old bi-wing canvas and wood crop-duster and hopping into the cockpit of a F15 fighter jet. The novelization gave a little exposition on that, but the movie only gave suggestions of Luke's ability.

What if our first glimpse of Luke is of him in daredevil low-level flight of some sub-orbital "hopper""? At first, we only see a giant insect (OX mask and helmet) and an insect like craft. We have no idea whether it is another scary enemy or what it's business is. The pilot sees the battle on a cockpit display and is so drawn to the battle that it hurls it's little craft upward. The craft roars and alarms start to wail until it reaches apogee and the pilot pulls out binoculars to look at the ships. Then the craft suffers a blow-out or something and falls. The pilot saves the ship at the last possible moment before crash. Then we see the pilot pull off the mask and the monster is really a teen-aged farm boy.