Originally Posted by
silvertate
How hillarious. When I said exactly the same to xxxx lo-co airline, I was told I was a Neanderthal who needed to move into the modern aviation world. The quote was: "passengers don't pay for you to improve your hand flying skills.". It looks like reality has caught up with the naive progressives, as it always does.
However, as I said them, this is not simply a matter of more handflying jets. These newbies need a four-week gliding course, not simply to brush up on hand flying skills, but to test themselves when the pressure is on and heart is beating fast. Try doing a landing into an unknown farmer's field, of largely unknown elevation, quality and texture, with no possibility of a go-around. Performa few of those, and you can call yourself a pilot.
I feel you are damn right. As glider pilot instructor and aviation professional (but not commercial pilot) I had a chance to take several experienced commercial jet pilots in a glider. To my surprise, I flew with more than one, that was unable to sort out an unusual attitude without my intervention (we were about to leave the envelope), let alone stall/spin recovery. Flying aerobatics with some of them was even more interesting - mostly, it was a loss of situational awareness, followed by recovery attempt, that, if continued, would go into loss of control/breakup. Not all of them, of course, but uncomfortably more than one. I still remember our company A-320 chief pilot, otherwise also one of the top and well respected glider pilots around, that during an approach to an airport in one of Greek islands turned to me (I was in a jumpseat) saying: watch this. It was a a night NonPrecision approach, requiring crossing VOR on the airport, flying outbound and after some DME miles 150deg turn, intercepting radial to runway. He switched off A/P and A/THR, and watched over his shoulder back towards airport. In one moment he pulled throttles to idle - we glided graciously outbound, turned inbound when he felt it is OK, called for flaps on his feeling (well within speed limits) and gear in the right moment so we crossed threshold at the right spot with the right speed - engines idling for about two-three minutes already and speed brakes not touched. A perfect touchdown followed. And yes, it was around midnight, in perfect summer weather, with no other traffic and yes, a loadfull of happy holidaymakers. I remember young copilot just watched in disbelief.
Today, he would be probably disciplined for pulling such a thing.
And I agree 110% that pulling an emergency landing into an unknown farm field provides you with a unique experience and some self assesment that no simulator can provide. Did it 6 times so far.