Originally Posted by
John Citizen
I might be wrong, and I do enjoy manual flying whenever I can, however my understanding is that inside terminal airspace (RNP 1, RNAV 1), the Flight director must remain on and full use of automation is also recommended.
I don't think that we can comply with RNAV1 or RNP1 without a flight director.
I believe RNP1 / RNAV 1 is a navigation requirement that we must comply with, unless obviously some type of unserviceability.
On the A320 FD or AP required for RNP because it has no CDI (unbelievable they designed it like that, IMHO). Where I fly (USA) vectors are much more common than when I was flying in the EU (never flew in Oz), so more opportunity for raw data. I feel it has made me a better pilot, my company gives wide leeway either way, and we are asked more often than I remember from the EU to change plans at short notice where sometimes it is easier to fly manual. Not suggesting you should do it where you are, different places, different rules.