Originally Posted by
CEJM
Every company I have flown for was more then happy to let us fly the aircraft manually with a/t off. They all understood that a couple of visual approaches at the end of a sim session is not really enough to keep your flying skills honed. Especially with the network we had were we had no choice but to do a visual aporoach as that was the only approach available.
I agree with you to keep in mind what the report would say but that also should not discourage people from flying the airplane manually at the right time and place.
We're simply not allowed to turn off the A/T on my new fleet. Infact the only fleet that still can is the Jumbo since the 767 went in November. There are places where we will do visual approaches, but I'll be using things to help me ie FPV and AT (the second out of necessity as mentioned above). Also, my new type is FBW and doesn't have the pitch power couple I'm so used to, it has a trim system I'm still getting used to and in Normal Flight Control Mode it doesn't feel like what I've grown up with. Even with everything off, it'll still take care of pitch power couple and sort of auto trim for you. I just accept my place and have fun in the sim whenever the chance arises.
And I certainly won't be flying raw data manual anything into LHR after spending all night flogging across the Atlantic. Right time and right place is absolutely nail on the head statement. My company also encourage manual flying when appropriate and I'm very happy to oblige but I won't be turning off basic levels of automation ie FD's. It's just not worth the paperwork if it goes wrong and I maintain you're degrading safety beyond that point, which I'm not prepared to do. Of course it's brilliant fun speaking as a pure pilot but I accept that the flight exists for a purpose and that purpose isn't my pure enjoyment...unfortunately. I'd love to keep up an MEP rating but it's just too expensive these days.