I think it also important to note however that experience is a doube edged sword , espcially if the said flying is done in a relaxed or at least more relaxed enviroment. It is easy to become acustomed to those things which a pilot can be more lenient on in say glider towing (postion accuarcy , full checks e.t.c ) and then transfer these habbits, although accidently on to a higher scale of flying that demands these standards.
Althouhgh i can appreciate arguements that expericance gives the pilots skills in say people reading , team managment or maybe even a 'flying sense' but much of the mentioned flying is solo work , which would induce the opposite.
In response to the question of a 'real pilot' I think many people are stuck on ideal now lost in the commercialthe world. Adding real to a job simply implies a more direct form of the job , a 'real' banker for instance would trade in a town market with phyiscal coins , whereas a 'normal' banker would deal in computerised figures. However i struggle to see how a 'real' of anything can be more valid than its 'normal' brethren.
Reagrds
Tim