As a former pilot, I will agree that hours matter. Our ability to get pilots 200 training hours per year has actually been an advantage, to my understanding, co

As a former pilot, I will agree that hours matter. Our ability to get pilots 200 training hours per year has actually been an advantage, to my understanding, compared to our competitors who can't afford even that much. The simulators for the helicopters that I flew really sucked (you just can't capture the feel of hovering, landing in dust or on slopes, terrain flight, etc.) so simulator hours were a poor substitute for flight hours. But I suspect that simulator hours are more valuable for fixed-wing pilots. New single-seat fighter pilots can go straight from simulators to soloing a real aircraft. I also imagine that most of what they need to practice is just button-pressing procedures for sensors and weapons. Doing most of that in a simulator can really extend the lifetime of the fleet.