Rob21.
There was a time when regs were not so strict and we (not crew) could go in to the cockpit and even seat on the jump-seat.
Still happens in many places in the world, you know ?
Captain operating the TLs, with the assistance of the Flight Engineer (B-727), who had his hands on top of the Captain's right hand (TO and Landing). Later, on another of these "cockpit visits" (yes, I had 2 very close family members there...), the airplane was one of the first B-737 to arrive in Brazil and the Flight Engineer was not necessary anymore. But I saw the Copilot with his left hand on top the Captain's right hand (TO and landing). I believe this was a procedure, not a "friendly" gesture...
Brazil is a very curious place, then. I only remember, on DC-4s the FE setting the *ordered* pressure from the pilot and the same procedure on the older 707s. On 747s, the flight engineer had, behind the throttles, appendages to allow him to set takeoff thrust and to keep the engines synchronised during the approach, set-up that was kept, among other planes on the 1011. With the avent of two-man-crew cockpits, the tasks were a lot stricter in terms of distribution and the *hand-over-hand* technique deemed too dangerous : One flies the airplane, the other monitors...Simple.
Years went by, I don't visit cockpits anymore. But watching a video of a landing, taken from inside the cockpit, I didn't see the copilot assisting the pilot with his hands. I searched for more videos, and could not see this "procedure"
Maybe specialists have come to their senses, at last.
Now I wonder. If the "drill" on landing with one reverse inop included this "hand over hand" thing (very low cost, easy to train)...
The answer is
NO
You really have no idea on what happens in training, in system integration, in procedures design and implementation. So stop trying to tell us, even the *older ones* what was ,what is and what should be. Or stop flying altogether.
In the mean time, be happy : TAM will have a new bell-and-whistle gismo in their flight deck. Just what you wanted.
Now leave the *specialists* to try and work on this quietly.
