The thread opener asked the simple question "It's not that difficult, is it ? - or something like it. No, it is dead easy ,actually. Not going to enter the debate again but we are stuck with the industry forcing us into procedures dictated by the Bean Counters. We have gone from being pilots and airmen to button pushers. All heads under the coming, furiously resolving problems through the FMC with no-one looking out of the window has led to incident after incident . Those who support this brush off with the annoying comment ; "Yeah, well, that's how we dot it ".
I received fantastic pilot training at Oxford Air Training School in 1971. Many much cleverer bods than me taught me the 3 degree principle which could put you in the "frame" wherever you were. Range to touch times three puts you in the picture wherever you are whatever your in . Worked for me from Cherokees to A340 with lots in between.
The guys in question at 8 miles out should be around..........er........2400ft. What the F were they doing at 400ft ? Oooooops, heads down, resolve through the FMC. Yeah, right.
No chaps, it is not difficult . But keep the focus on button pushing, systems knowledge (what is it doing now, (?)- systems) , and we will have a lot more of this .