Originally Posted by
yoko1
I think you are misreading what he said. Proper trimming technique for any aircraft is not a "trick," it is a basic skill learned from day 1. Not defending the horrible design of MCAS, but aircraft manufacturers have to make some underlying assumptions regarding the pilots who will be operating the aircraft they build. Believing the pilot will apply normal operating techniques like trimming away undesired control forces is not an unwarranted assumption.
And that is a good summation of the problem - one that is highlighted repeatedly here.
Boeing is being castigated for assuming that pilots would do what in the past would be considered "a basic skill learned from day 1". In fact it would have been deemed insulting to not assume it is an innate skill. Yet in multiple postings here and other threads it has been said that trimming to unload the control column is something special that needs to be highlighted in NNCs (what are those Ns - oh yes...). Is special training really required for experienced pilots in _trimming_?? Apparently yes. What would have happened to both accident aircraft if the pilots had kept them in trim? -A clue - that is what the crew of the penultimate Lion Air flight did.
So the real question is what _other_ assumptions based on past expected crew capabilities have been made by A or B? With training both initial and continuation cut to the tick box bone - and real hands-on experience being limited there surely are other assumptions that have been invalidly made.
Which approach will the bean counters favor? Automate out the pilots or (re)train them and increase continuation training? Does automation require a pension/401K?