Very true Genghis but Eric Brown was also a product of his era.
I think you have to ask had an identical individual of equal ability been born between 1975 and 1985 how would their career progressed. Most likely they would have made it as RAF Fast Jet pilot, most likely they would have got selected for ETPS, but the variety and types available to work on would be extremely limited in comparison to the opportunities he had presented.
The chances are a "modern Eric Brown" would have been sent to the long course at ETPS.