I have been retired for 10 years now, but it is interesting reading this line of thread.
I was reminded of a story of a meeting at CFS in the ‘50s. It was attended by representatives of the fighter world, to discuss the training of pilots for the new Lightning that was to enter service without (at that time) a 2 seat version.
There was a long winded discussion when Air Commodore Atcherley stood up and said that he had never heard so much rubbish in his life.
He was reported to have pointed out that in 1938, when the first Hurricanes arrived, they were told to fly round for the first few hours not retracting the flap, leaving the wheels down and the hood open, all to get the old timers used to the new monoplanes.
He said it was rubbish then and it is rubbish now. We will get these young men and give them a Lightning, just as we gave them Spitfires, and they will show us how to fly them. Meeting closed.
As for simulator flying. My conversion to the B757 (all be it as an experienced captain of BAC 1-11) in the early 1990’s consisted of about 40 hours sim, followed by a 15 min circuit. The next day, with a training captain in the right hand seat, I was loading passenger for a trip to Palma. The new hostie that brought us a cup of tea would not believe it was only my second go at landing the jet.