Modern autopilots are very smooth. While you may think you’re doing a great job keeping the needles centred, the passengers in the back won’t thank you. Admittedly, FBW does help disguise coarse inputs - which begs the question .. are you really hand flying?. And definitely, if the AT is engaged, then you’re not really hand flying.
Hand flying smoothly with precision for more than a few minutes in the higher flight levels is all but impossible.
Every design iteration brings us ever closer to being mere safety observers in a UAV, with the only physical pilot input being the taxing of the aircraft. Thus, stick and rudder skills are becoming less relevant with each “Next Gen” aircraft.This is not a career I’d want to be in if I was a 20 year old today. Probably have to wear a high vis jacket in the cockpit in 30 years time.
