Re: Young pilots
My son starting flying fixed wing with me at 7 with big cushions to sit on. By 11 he could take off, fly all the en route, handle the nav, join the circuit, land, handle PFLs, in fact do everything except the RT because he didn't like to try it. In the early days he used to use the AH as he could not see out over the panel. Unfortunately at 33 he now has no interest.
I started rotary at 56 and it did take me a while to burn in the hovering synaptic pathways.