Originally Posted by
Darkmouse
I can enlighten you! There is no way on earth that FJ pilots recently out of the training system are in their early twenties. Even if they joined at 18, I'd estimate them to be in their mid-twenties at best. And for most, probably early-thirties.
Correct to a degree. I know an fj pilot who completed Valley aged 23 1/2. Had he then gone straight to fj frontline as planned he would have been 24 1/2 doing the stuff fj pilots do. A short instructor tour post-valley slowed that path but he still was frontline fj on Q and shader aged 26 and a bit.
For what it's worth, he loves it.