Bomarc, with all do respect and regarding your post #732,
IF a pilot has to do everything, every time, he is in the loop.
if he watches the machine do everything every time he is monitoring and slightly removed from the loop.
Pilot is always in the loop, be that B or AB or whatever OEM we talk of, for decades in the past.
Were you ever exposed to any level of flight laws curriculum in any form, with all do respect? Sims (real ones), guidance and control commercial s/w or equipment design/support?
Automation is not the answer to safer flying.
How can you say that with a straight face?
As for the automation in aviation and all the related issues (guidance, control and all the aspects of flight mechanics) benefits are immense. Its (automation's) application should be an axiom, IMHO.
Or maybe I misread your statement? In that case, apologies.
Cheers