BAe146 has servo tabs, and yes they were lovely to fly with very good feel. Always looks really bizarre when you see one taxiing and just one elevator moves from full up to full down or vice versa, due to a wind gust affecting just one side. You can overpower servo tabs when making quick control inputs though. In gusty approaches, you can feel that you’re hitting the servo tab end stops.
Flew the 737 Classic and didn’t like the fact that when taking out the AP on approach, it often gives you the aircraft out of trim - hence the column snatch referred to earlier in the thread. So the first thing that happens when you disconnect the AP is you go unstable! I have to say I shuddered every time I stood in the main gear well during my walkarounds, and looked at the mechanical horror of the flight control system. All those cables, and cams, and levers and all over the place. It looks as if each part was added onto what was already there. Oh, we need a spoiler mixer? OK let’s put that........ here. Oh, we need an autopilot? OK let’s have it control another hydraulic jack to push and pull the existing set of rods and levers, and we’ll bolt that....over here. Then all those cables and pulley wheels which all need greasing and tensioning. Shudder......
I can quite understand that it is possible to stretch a 3/16” cable with your own strength: Imagine a 20m length fixed to a point and you have a 3’ lever on the other end. For sure you will be able to stretch it.
Someone mentioned rolling the Boeing to drop the nose? OK, fine, but most of us are not fighter pilots, nor test pilots. If you want us to do this stuff, you are gonna have to train us properly to do it. Telling us to read a book about it is a cop out.
Am quite happy with the simple spring ‘feel’ of the Airbus sidestick, and the FBW system. Lovely !