FGL:
That last answer has me foxed. The A/P will be engaged with he a/c climbing. The AFDS will maintain the speed at which the engine failed V2 - V2 + 15. This is done with pitch. It should do no worse than level off to accelerate. Hand flying the F.D. will do exactly the same.
When the Flaps are UP, after an MFRA or 1000'agl, you will likely be <2000'agl at nominal ATOW"s. Thus you will not be in ALT HLD.
PP: Commonality across fleets? When discussing things with an Airbus TC, who knew nothing of Boeings (and I know litle of Airbuses) he was astounded that common airline SOP's on Boeings were so archaic with A/P use on departure with non-normals e.g. engine failures.
Question: A/P engaged on departure at 1500'; not yet Bug UP and accelerating to retract flaps; engine fails. Do you disconnect the A/P?
Answer: I hope: No. You apply rudder to stabilise the a/c, BUg Up and retract Flaps and climb to suitable altitude.
If this is OK, why not engage the A/P earlier, say 1000', with an engine failure at lower height or speed? It is so certified. Why do we down-grade the a/c to a Low Tech version of a High Tech a/c? We use the automatics and most other things within their limitations and the way they were designed, so why not in this case? It has often seemed to me that SOP's are carried over from old generation a/c to newer ones to suit company philosophy, which has inertia. No-one questions it and so it stays. It is only when a whole new type of a/c arrives that minds open up. I saw this in an old company of mine with an old tech Boeing a/c. It was Flaps Up A/P engaged. The A/P was certified for 400'agl and was so used by a later operator I flew for. The first airline then bought a brand new high tech Boeing. The first LTC's had only Boeing sim experience and a few sectors in the USA. It was their first LNAV VNAV computer a/c. It was a 20 year leap in technology from what they were used to. The new SOP for the first year was A/P on at 400' and watch what it did. Let the a/c teach the pilots what it wanted to do. Meanwhile the old a/c was still flown in the old way.
I flew B767 for another airline, my 4th on type, and the SOP manual had some oddities. It had been writen by and old company pilot who had been on B707. Guess what; "if it was OK for that beast it was OK for this one". Same c@&p; hand fly engine failures including complicated emergency turns, plus other very non B767 procedures. I wonder what the insurance boys will have to say if you pile in on departure with a non-normal hand flying when the A/P was available? Following orders Guv!
I have my thoughts about this , but as I said, I'm looking for some real technical reasoning why so many do it the way they do, and do not make life easier.