These days the technology of the automatics is
reasonably mature and reliable. The flight engineer is almost extinct. Prehaps the next generation or the one after, of pilots will be automatics only operators and the MEL will reflect this. ie autothrust, FDs, autopilot will be no go items.
The environment we operate in has changed considerably over the years, drawing lines from beacons on a map isn't applicable to RVSM airspace. Yesterday I pointed out to a flight attendent an aircraft crossing our track 1000' below at a reporting point. Because our positions were so accurate, had we been at the same level we would have collided.
A old captain I had the pleasure to fly with many years ago remembered when the VOR was new technology.
Crusty old pilots who can actally FLY an aircraft could become a memory. Worldwide ETOPS is now routine, we think nothing of being three hours from an airport in a twin jet such is the reliability of modern engines, a sixty plus year old technology.
As automatics become increasingly reliable they will be depended on more and more. The newer generations of pilots who trained on automatics will replace the previous generations who remember when automatics were less reliable, didn't trust them totally and actually practised flying without them.
The day will probably come when a pilot recieves an award for heroically landing his aircraft when a 1 in 100 000 000 failure occurs and the automatics are lost.
