Originally Posted by
Rick777
It's a shame that for a lot of pilots these days this is such a big deal. In the days before automated airplanes the work load for both pilots was much higher so manipulating the MCP and talking on the radio seems pretty easy. So is flying a plane that trims itself.
But maybe at this time there weren't as many rules preventing you to use the method you deemed appropriate ?
No doubt that 30 years ago, the answers to this topic would have been "you are worried about a non-problem, just touch your FCU when and how you like it, you can also ask your PNF"
Before FMGS, the workload was real. Someone had to tune the VORs and courses, monitor the DMEs and needles, etc.. but what I'm talking about is an artifical workload that's due to a rule which we could very well do without.
If tomorrow Airbus decides that one crew member has to rotate the knob, and the other has to push or pull it, in order to force both crew members to fully agree on the FCU selection, that could also unduly increase crew workload and that would be completely artificial as well.