Hi all,. .As for that SR111, I am convinced that they would have gotten a DC10 (MD11), on the ground in time to get out, if only it had been a DC10!. .Also, somebody mentioned earlier that FEs were now really not needed in these current high-tech, highly automated aircraft, with ECAM to reveal the next most (preprogrammed) step to take, that's IF the thing has been programmed to sort the problem you have, but I think he missed the point, as I saw it, with a professional FE, we don't need the aircraft to be anywhere near as automated, and the automated thinking that goes with it, that's the problem, look at that QF 744 that arrived at BKK in the golfcourse,(an FE would have been mentioning, rather loudly, that he had just cancelled both the auto-brakes and the auto-spoilers with that initial attempt to go around!), look at that A330 that landed deadstick in the middle of the Atlantic, wasn't he lucky he found that airfield JUST in time!. .An example of ECAM not knowing, and leading the crew astray, an FE would have compared the remaining fuel with the quantity used, and seen that it didn't tally, something that they keep a running tally with on every flight!. .And there are numerous events that are remaining just reports in company safety reports, rather than something that developed into a major emergency, because the FE was there to point it out, in varying amounts of forcefulness!. .I know in my company, they really can't do without them, judging on their past performance!. . . .I even get nervous on those automated commuter trains, like the ones in KL, and I'm still on the ground, I DON'T LIKE AUTOMATION OF THIS DEGREE - IT HAS NO BRAINS/COMMONSENSE!. .Bring back the FE!!