Not to feed fuel to the fire, but I've always wondered what type of "experience" is it that a 5000TT pilot has vs. a 2000TT pilot. For all practical purposes, both pilots have seen and worked the same system. Unless, of course, EVERY 5000TT guy is guaranteed to have experienced an in-flight emergency, whereas a 2000TT guy is guaranteed to have NEVER seen an in-flight emergency.

I think people fixate a LOT on numbers. (e.g. My penis is .5" longer than yours.)

I will however, agree, that there's an ideal place for learning. I think, if anything, the so called "experience" is more of a confidence factor. Those with higher time can confidently make decisions. The truth is, however, that this confidence comes from time in the aircraft itself, IMO, and not so much TT.