ETOPS : I am not on the 75/76 fleet, but it has been said I dont have much between my legs !
I joined from spending numerous years with another airline where it was routine to practice raw navaid departures (on EFIS in ROSE mode), or as you say visual or raw data approaches ....
I find the culture different on my fleet in BA, if in good met conditions I say I am going to fly a manual thrust raw data approach the majority of Capt's look at me with a glazed look and a 'what you wana do that for' ....
Maybe its the fleet,
To be fair its much easier for you ETOPS in the LH seat to hand fly without the FO objecting, than it would be the other way around.
I have had some trips with Capts who are all in for 'flying the thing' ....... but regretably they tend to be the exception.
Most hand flying is done with flight directors .... or at the least TRK/FPA.
My fleet has also recently taken away the 'raw data manual thrust' approach's segment from the line training requirments. Its now only to be demonstrated from 1000' lined up and visual on finals .....
I have heard on good authrority that the 777 fleet is 'not allowed' to fly manual thrust under any circumstances.
When it all goes pear shaped I still want to know I can fly the machine .... thats not the time to be practicing.
But, yes despite these minor gripes BA is a good outfit to work for, with excellent crews, and a huge emphasis on CRM and team skills ..... its still the best of the bunch !
[This message has been edited by noblues (edited 12 March 2001).]