A former DC10 pilot friend of mine who prior to that flew C141 and other heavy transports for the US Airforce and prior to that was a navigator and EWO on B52 in SAC told me that some pilots never managed the transition to jets because they could not handle the speeds and stay ahead of the airplane.
I’m pretty sure those pilots, and possibly some of the others observing them, wouldn’t make it around the circuit once and land successfully in a 65 HP Luscombe… at 75 mph. Operating a machine requires aptitude, some require more aptitude than orhers. I think speed requires less natural aptitude than many other characteristics, and is more related to having an organized mind, which is relatively trainable.
Referencing the other thread, flying many different types generates skill, not least because you learn what you don’t know and therefore to look out for the unexpected.
