Originally Posted by
Phantom Driver
tttoon
Correct. . However , I believe the pertinent word is " regularly" . Congratulations on flying with an enlightened operator that permits you to indulge and hone your skills . However , not all operators can permit that luxury when most flights are in the longer haul category with a pax load of 300 plus , you are part of a heavy crew and there is a battle for sectors to maintain landing currency. Those folks at the back want a smooth ride which the automation delivers .
With all due respect , I don't think all pilots can guarantee to keep the needles centred perfectly on every departure/arrival (mostly RNAV these days) using raw data alone . With FD it is another matter and I believe most operators do encourage hand flying whenever practical . But RAW data on the line in a heavy jet ? I don't think so .
The simulator is the place to do LOTS of this raw data stuff . If you are not up to standard , then that is a fail . Having retired , I am not sure if this is common practice in training departments these days . It was moving in that direction when I left my last outfit .
I disagree with most of what you’ve written here. I regularly fly raw data on the line. That’s the only way to maintain proficiency. A few minutes in the sim twice a year isn’t enough practice for me.
With reference to keeping the needles centred on a SID, that’s difficult in a Boeing or Airbus, because most SIDs don’t have needles anymore! My last plane had a CDI that could be used in LNAV, and I’d enjoy hand-flying the SIDs in that case. I really wish Boeing and Airbus would put a CDI on the screen.
Granted, I don’t fly long haul, but particularly now, when there’s less flying, I can ill afford to squander the chance to maintain my skills by allowing the AP to fly.