I was frequently very impressed with those dudes down at Yeovilton ('Freddie'?). Generally never that impressed with the AWACS controllers (but I don't know what kit limitations they have - I've never seen their kit, not that I'd know what good kit would look like if i saw it!). They're both generalisations of course - I know they each contain 'the good and the bad'.
I had a go FCing once (in a hole somewhere) and I made a complete balls of it. The real controller sat next to me was doing more hand (and foot I suppose) movements per second than I used to do in the fin during BFM. Ok, perhaps that says more about my BFM...
Does it really really matter how long a course was and if it's a brevet or a badge - I mean really? I've never really noticed people at work getting wrapped around the axle about it too much.
Wasn't there some banter a while back about an F3 nav going over to be a FC (or was it the other way round)?
MT