Idunno, I have expressed my opinions on the alienating nature of the FBW Airbusses on several occasions (see the "Airbus shock" thread for some fun...
).
Your point regarding congested airspaces is a good one, of course, but fortunately many of us stll fly both to congested airspaces
and places with little traffic.
May I decide by myself if it is safe to hand flying, or do I need a writted rule for everything?
My blood pressure is still high when I think about pilots unable to
fly the aircraft in a goaround, killing hundreds of passengers because they are completely lost without automation - or because the automation is screwing up.
SOP's didn't save those passengers.
And that's only
one example.