Wrong decade mate...
Our union Rep talking about Air Inter doing manual cat 3 approaches with a proper monitored approach with PNF counting the approach lights followed by missed approach where the threshold was seen (not slant range) followed by a second approach to a landing where they thought the threshold should be.
Did something similar when instructing and getting caught out. Saw the threshold below 100ft. Learnt from that foolishness.
Watched a manual monitored approach to below cat 2 in a DC9 once.
Remember the astonishment that the VC10 had a cat 2 autoland system when I went onto her having believed the myth that only Smiths or something derived from their system could do it and it had to be triplex.
As to number one in Europe - I was astonished by the number of Brits who flew with SR when I joined, as we did the meet and greet I was able to ask why? Gave that up pretty quickly.