What about the new joiners and more-so, the cadets.... first time they fly the jet they have 300 paying punters down the back who have no idea they are being used to fund a training flight...... oh my God!! Let's get a grip here, please or this time next year it'll be
AutoLand Only.
Rumour has it this policy emphasis was a reaction to some DECs who "didn't do it like this in my old airline..."? (Yes something else to blame DECs for
, but I
did say it was a rumour and like it or not, true or not, it
is out there doing the rounds.)
Me, I think it's because some of the guys are sub-standard and can't fly for sh!t. The same reason everyone is so afraid of flying a VISUAL frigging APPROACH, for fcuk's sake. And we weren't allowed to do them for such a long time. The laughing stock of Sydney ATC where Independent VISUAL Approachs applied to everyone except us.
I for one don't feel the need to "practice" on the line, and I think most of us have the experience to be able to cope if all the automatics "dropped off line".
Having seen the way SOME of the guys hand-fly an ILS intercept, lurching and heaving around, following the F/D, some practice would definitely not go astray.
IAS slightly low during climb-out but the F/D says pitch up so that's what they do, only to have it come straight-back down as soon as the directed B/A is reached....
Stuff like that. You know??