I have a healthy distrust of automated systems
Indeed, when you are raised on clockwork that may well be the case. Unfortunately today if you started with glass (not unusual even with SEP) then progress through glass to an FMS equipped jet you know little else. Certainly I'd be loathe to test the skills of many of today's young folk in a Jurassic era 737, but it isn't just the young, the experienced today in many cases seem to be lost without the automatics as has been highlighted by a not inconsiderable number of accidents, although in =many= cases pitch/power would have saved the day, you truly wonder how much automatics insulate the incompetent. Not just children of the Magenta line etc.