Caution
Yes, good to 'hand fly' but these generation of Aircraft are designed to be manipulated through the automatics so a thourough understanding of the modes and fmc interface is vital. All versions of the 7-3 fly nicely and when things start going pearshaped then back to basics hand flying works a treat. We are here to offer our own advice but i'd caution against lots of manual flying as what catches most people out who are new to type is the subtlety of the various modes. Therefore, get an early grasp of these.Perhaps a mix of both depending on what and how busy an environment you're operating in.......and how the skipper feels!
No disrespect to despegue or his collegues but the Belgians are renowned for their love of 'hand flying'. But like he says, it will depend on your Airlines automation policy.
Good luck and enjoy!