maxalt,
"LEM you made two posts in this vein. I think you are being a bit harsh on modern pilots.
By modern pilots (like the guys in the Birgenair 757) I guess you are referring to pilots who spend most of their time flying Glass Cockpits with sophisticated Flight Directors and Autopilots?
Do you know that (as per manufacturers recomendation) the SOPs at many airlines require crews to use the FD all the time, and Autopilots most of the time? Who can blame them for losing the basics of Pitch and Power flying? It isn't being taught and it is not being required of them!"
I don't give a damn **** about SOP's when they tell me not to be a PILOT!
Can you imagine a bus driver who knows how to push buttons but not to
drive anymore?
I'm used to this subject: I'm always been
the one who pushes for hand flying (no FD, no FMS, nothing) - although able to push buttons very well.
To me it's a kind of religion, and has turned into a sort of mission: my copilots know that their (almost) only opportunity to hand fly is to fly with me, and they know they don't even need to ask to disconnect everything.
I have noticed how bad their skills have become, now that all is required from them is filling papers and pushing CDU buttons.
Retaining good basic handling skills is a MUST, not only to be a real pilot, but above all to be a
safe pilot.
Not only you can better monitor the automatisms, but for sure time will come when you
will have to rely solely on your handling skills.
I'm deeply convinced official training is insufficient (today as in the past), and one
has to train himself when the conditions are easy: raw data circling approach at the minima, not at the turistic altitude of 1500ft, NDB approach instead of ILS... and so on, all done in CAVOK, simulating bad weather,
that's valuable training, instead of pushing a stupid button which even my dog would be able to push.
With
that background, when you'll have to make a circling at night, low ceiling, under the rain etc... that will be a piece of cake.
When I was a copilot I've seen
incredible things from the laft seat!
If only the passengers knew!!
I'm not gonna waist time enumerating all of them, but
it's a shame!
So, going back to your post, those (Asian?) companies mandating the use of autopilot are just one of the aberrations of our time, where the man is dying everyday a bit more and turning into a little alienated robot.
CRM has become the
only magic word, and you end up with
three incapable ****** , although very experienced, killing everybody for a faulty ASI, instead of being able to say FU** the good manners, level off and give it a handful!
I'm gonna stop here.
Sort of disgusted?
You bet!
Who can blame them for losing the basics of Pitch and Power flying?
I do.