Originally Posted by
giggitygiggity
Congratulations! Although I’ll let you into a secret... Airbus ‘policy’ is to use maximum automation. Obviously we should all be familiar with manual thrust and capable of employing it whenever desired or required. But as a blanket policy, forcing pilots to pretend that auto thrust is only to be used in the case of an automatic landing is short-sighted. Where does your company draw the line? I assume it’s FACs off passing 100ft? It’s like this manual thrust policy is designed to simply let pilots think (assume) they’re better than the competition because they’re ‘going old school’. I’m not sure how it serves the advancement of safety. You should be comfortable flying the aircraft IAW the manufacturers design.
Not about feeling superior. It takes appropriately 1 approach to get accustomed to having the AT on, if you usually have it off. The opposite is not true.
Using maximum automation all day every day is a recipe for disaster. You agree that we should be familiar with manual thrust, so as to be able to employ it if and when required. Where’s your line in the sand? Under what conditions would you consider it ok to use manual thrust?