I am 84 years of age and spent a lifetime in aviation both militarily and civil. Experience was always of value but never the be all and end all. Flying had to be a passion not a job and if you were any good at it and not a danger to all and sundry it would become evident in the simulator. The ability to spot a problem, deal with it calmly and take over manually when necessary is a great asset. 90% of simulator training was manual flying with emergencies thrown in at regular intervals and I hope this still prevails. How many pilots fly their aircraft manually to keep their hand in, when flying on the line today? I shall look forward to hearing how, in this modern era, the complex systems of today, are dealt with when they malfunction.