UPLINKER : You have selected bits of my post to comment upon, incorrectly. I never put a "downer" on automatics. I enjoyed the slow introduction of automatics as they reduced the pilot workload. I never suggested that we should, for example , hand-fly the N Atlantic . Neither was my suggestion to fly across busy TMA's looking, solely out of the window.
My experience is that from very excellent basic pilot training through to modern tech, I witnessed an overall high reliance on the automatics that were designed to reduce workload. It is not the fault of new joiners to our profession relying heavily on computerised solving. That is the way they are trained. But there is a woeful lack of airmanship and "SA" as you call it which really should be addressed.
Like the incident being discussed in the ME threads, the guys in Moscow could surely have "looked out of the window" and realised something was horribly wrong as they stared UP at Mrs Vlad hanging out her washing (1)....NO ?...... And the other guys, 8 miles out and at 400ft , SA...whaaaaat ? Nope, was it heads down , Extend the CL, give me an incpt leg to the final fix, enter an abm wp with height check....ooooops, what is all this "pull up. pull up" nonsense ?
Finally, oh yes ; the Beancounters surely forced it. I remarked my concerns to a CP who insisted on max use of autopilot and FMC interrogation with problem solving because the Commercial whizzos who authorised updated hardware in our already sophisticated aircraft demanded that he "re-educate" all pilots to use the equipment fully. On a beautiful, clear weather, no other traffic departure from a UK field, given the leg to the FO, I asked if he would like to hand-fly the departure. I suffered a bemused look with a terse" I would rather stick to company SOPs". Arrival into a non cluttered, clear weather destination, sticking to Company SOP's and painting lots of lovely magenta line options into both routes in the FMC (none of which to experienced airmen would ever be achieved ) we got, predictably very high and very fast from which I had to , regrettably, intervene.
In a previous more delightful and educated Company, the introduction of high tech was a gentle process where we were clear in the education that all the goodies were there to assist and make life more comfortable. OVER-reliance to the detriment of of basic piloting skills was a sure-fire killer. AS I said in my opener , I fear we will see more of this.