theamrad:
who could deny A/P driven 'pitch hunting' because the FCC's have no A/T input if not coupled - esp with turbulence or gusts and trying to maintain a changing target thrust.
The elevator would be maintaining ALT, V/S, a pitch attitude or the G/S and it should not be beyond the capacity of a competent crew to co-ordinate manual power adjustments with an A/P flown approach to preclude any 'pitch hunting' caused by over large variations in thrust. Though if A/P A/T approaches are the norm and manual power inputs the exception I could perhaps understand how unfamiliarity with required power inputs might lead to some rough handling, even absent turbulence or gusts. But then are we not in danger of producing pilots geared to flying the automation rather than the airplane with all the downside potential that creates when the automation for whatever reason fails to perform as expected?