Originally Posted by bobcat
Anyway, getting rid of auto-retard in a single channel approach is IMHO the best solution
For all the aces out there who want to be left to sort it out themselves, we should, in the interest of the fare-paying public, surely be catering for the 100's of pilots who cannot and who may allow the automatics to put them into a position where the recovery demands exceed their abilities.
Bobcat's idea is good in my book. I would go further and suggest that Boeing should dispense with the landing RETARD command and go along the AB route of an audio prompt. After all, we do not need auto retard, we can autoland without it and I can see no purpose in having it especially on single channel or manual flight.
Secondly, should we now be looking at imposing some further restriction on the amount an automatic system can trim nose up? In the case of a 737, stopping it earlier, at a point where we are still above Vss, and lighting the 'stab out of trim light' should give a tactile input that things are not right and require remedial action to continue stable flight. I don't know if this is also being looked at in the PGF accident by Airbus.