GTU, yes indeed
. But a lot of discussions here are the "yes I agree" type. All fine and dandy, but they also have a tendency to turn out single-faceted
. Anyhow... What I`m trying to say is that perhaps autmation has come so far that basic flying skills (stick and rudder) are not needed as much as they used to (or should). There`s always a trade-off, and to me it seems the stick and rudder skills (which is your final back-up) is the trade-off for automation. You can look at a given situation in a number of ways and get probably even more answers or suggestions, but if you lack the basics then your in deeper than you could have been when things start hitting the fan.
Be prepared for the absolute worst, and be happy that everything 99% of the time works properly. BTW... ask yourself this; how long has it been since you did compass turns?
GTU, yes I love my automation too, second to disconnecting the A/P on a nice day
. Just to knock some rust off the seat of my pants once in awhile