Baron737 you are so right. . . . . but, in everything in life we must find the "happy medium".
I have worked for companies who
A - encouraged, indeed by the standard they "expected" in S¡m checks ,in fact they "insisted", that you were really hot (i.e. spent a bit of time ) hand flying departures & approaches in raw data (FD off )
All well & good until , yet again, Mr Le CoPilot is yet again about to severely bust the altitude restriction on a departure from a busy Central European TMA (There is a clue there
) keeping himself up to the standard required to pass his sim check
OR
B - Begorah
( Another clue
) where the pilots almost wanted to declare an emergency if you didn't engage the A/P on departure @ 400' and disengage it @ 500' resulting in total inability of aforesaid copilots to fly a Cessna 150esque visual approach (and even more worryingly self same bod 3 yrs later unable to do same when about to become a Captain
)
So, like most things in life, there is a happy medium.
Yes, it is important to be able to fly the aircraft safely ( and indeed fairly accurately please ) with everything turned off . Please practice this sometimes, but please do so when you do not compromise good operating practices by effectively rendering your co-crew member single crew (i.e. not during departure in a busy TMA)
It is also very important in the busy airspace we inhabit, to be able to use (all ) the wonderful featuress available on the MCP (and the imagination to select the mode to be used wisely - VS is your VERY best friend
) to reduce your workload , and therefore stay a little ahead of your aircraft.
The choice of the two should vary infinitely depending on airport/crew/experience/perceived alertness on the day, and is the ultimate expression of exercising wisely your "command authority".
On a more general note, I am at a loss & totally aghast, to see an experienced crew from a "legacy carrier" screw up ( on the face of it ) so badly.
However, in several years spent commuting, I often (due to being sociable, but yes , also due to "curiosity"
and indeed a desire to learn) passed many a flight occupying the Jump Seat.
I have never ( I am happy to say ) had to intervene, but there have been many occasions that I silently shook my head whilst patiently (
? ) awaiting the "paid employees" to do their job.
It is a truth in life that it is always easier from the 3rd seat, sitting behind & watching,for that, I am in total agreement, and therefore even more perplexed that in AMS , even that didn't save the day. Incredible, truly and sadly , incredible.