Spot on right there.

They didn't crash until they both had over 1500hrs.

That's not the point. They had less than 1500 when hired. Getting experience outside of automated 121 type flying, aka flight instructing and the like, builds fundamentals that could have allowed them to recognize a stall... That's been discussed over and over. Fundamental flying skills, and the lack thereof are the issue. Experience means something.

Marvin flew 1900s also. It doesn't get much more manual than that.

So someone towing a banner for 2000 hours has more experience than a 600 hour flight instructor teaching instrument in NYC airspace? The ATP requirement (to get hired 121)was and is completely BS. Quality NOT quantity!

A better way to phrase it is not manual, but "edge of the envelope."

Whether in a 1900 or other 121 op, airline flying is almost exclusively middle of the envelope. Training events are designed to return to the "security" of the center of the envelope.

The (flawed) counter-argument for ab initio or multiplace license crews is that the military gets away with less than 300 hours to put a guy in a fighter or heavy.

The difference? They spent between 6 months and a year and a half deliberately working to the edge of the envelope, and staying there. (And...they were in a program that if they were marginal, they were eliminated).

Guys who work the civilian rout will do a lot of that edge-of-envelope flying as a CFI, banner tow, jumpers, flying in lousy weather with underpowered airplanes and no radar...

Part 121 is not a place to hone your skills. Very little changes, skill-wise, once you get in the comfy chair of aviation.

I never said that. Don't know where you got the idea I think banner towing is better than flight instructing. Yes hours vary in the quality of experience. I'm not here to debate that. I'm saying that someone with 1000 plus hours flying something other then jets is an assset to safety. If you want 250 hour pilots in the right seat go ride in the back of a jet in India or China. See if you think it makes a difference.

Again, not the point....

Thank you. You said what I was thinking in a much more eloquent way

That is the best, most logical explanation I've ever read.