Each to their own!
You're either suitable for the job or not, independant of your stereotyped background...
"Hours", "The Hard Yards", and "GA" are all valuable things that contribute to experience. But "experience" itself is too often brandied about to describe some unique unqualified talent everyone out in the bush magically aquires. The fact is, experience comes from a variety of sources, and is influenced by what you make of it. Experience is NOT the same as 'background'. You could have done all the stereotypical GA adventures and still be a 'liability' on the dark and stormy night in a jet... RAAF pilots can make wrong decisions too!
Why is it in Qantas now everyone is either ex-Ansett, ex-GA, ex-cadet, or ex-RAAF. When will we stop judging each other on our backgrounds and stereotypes, and rather on what individual capability is actually demonstrated?!?
Lancer