Hi Rainboe
I thought my post would wake you up !
It was indeed the man from Seattle. Full title “Chief Technical Pilot 737 Training, Technical and Standards Flight Crew Operations”. A Boeing TP and a man with 26 years on type. I for one defer to his knowledge & experience.
He is fully aware of the argument of having TOGA thrust available and has operated both ways, but his position was that on balance it is safer not to have the A/T armed. In fact he raised the subject first, just to check that we were not doing this.
The counter argument to not having TOGA available at the push of a button is that it is still available at the extension of your arm. It can take up to 8 secs to get TOGA thrust from idle, so just putting the thrust levers somewhere in the ball park while you hand fly the manoeuvre and then ask the F/O to set TOGA thrust (if necessary) is not a problem. With the minimum A/P engage height now being so low (400ft agl) the chances are that you will be able to engage the A/P & A/T very soon after the G/A anyway.
BTW I share your concerns about arming the A/T in the before start procedure and I am kicking myself for not asking him about this.
S&L