Originally Posted by Xdashdriver

I have the same perspective as the research indicates. Having spent several years as an airline simulator instructor, sim check airman and line check airman before and after the rule change, I noticed pilots coming from a structured program (but fewer hours) generally performed better through training than those who did not have a structured training program but did have lots of hours. The more relevant to flying from point A to point B in the IFR system the hours were, the better the student faired. Students with primarily a VFR background had a harder time.