It's definitely as close to a "good to go" system as one can get
- agreed, but again isn't EVERY system only as good as its weakest link? What about a software bug or stray minivolt that says flaps are 'OK' when they are not? No different in reality to the MD80 TOWS, although 'better and cleverer'. What it comes down to is, while we have 'umans up front, we need to make sure THEY get it right. Then even with a duff TOWS or AB thingy, it still flies - from the correct runway.
Somewhere else on PPRune there was a suggestion of having 'killer items' checked as an SOP on entering the runway. I fully support that and have been doing it for many years (silently) as it is 'frowned upon' in the SOP driven airlines with whom I have worked - "not necessary if you do the checklist properly, young man" (QED?). I saw in a thread that some airlines (?PanAm?) taught it. Certainly I was used to fast jet military where we had these checks
taught. I still think that a simple check by US is the best way forward - cheap, reliable and effective and hopefully not thwarted by some relay or other or software issue. It is an admission of human falability I (and everyone) should readily accept and not fight.