"If i'm not mistaken, on a side note, when airlines were looking for pilots in the 60's and 70's, most of those guys were just found off the street and put in through training"

Yes, you're mistaken. I was there in the 70's and it wasn't like that. Maybe in the early 60's, but still, they went to the F/E seat and didn't train in sims. They trained in the real thing, to proficieny, thus proving they were somewhat competent to do the job.