Handflying is not in the long term plan of manufacturers and airlines to deskill the pilot job and fully automate the flight deck. They have a point, undeniably, safety has improved with automation.
Is slavishly following a flight director with A/T on really hand flying? Or merely being a meat powered autopilot?
Being old school, I used to like to hand fly, but I now concede it’s no longer an essential skill. You’d be surprised at how many people these days that can’t fly a decent, accurate visual circuit without the A/T. It used to worry me, but I now get the point of the “brave new world” of autonomous flight.
The (solo) airline pilot of the future, will start, taxi and chat to the tower. Line up, press a button and at TOC will go back to the crew rest area until TOD. The aircraft will land and he will taxi up to the gate and shut down. Every day, there are dozens of military UAVs plying the skies of the Middle East doing exactly this. Technology like this soon to be coming to an airliner near you.
The joy of actually poling around the skies will only be found in gliding, aerobatics and RA. i.e. stuff you have to pay to do.