Thus 2 different ypes of check. No where in the checking syllabus is there real handling checking
First of all, unless there is a series of horrendous crashes involving automation complacency then nothing is going to change. The occasional crash like Turkish Airlines at Amsterdam will stir the ants nest a little but already that is old news; so blind reliance on automation driven by manufacturers and airline ops departments is here to stay.
One solution is for the regulatory authority to legislate the proficiency and instrument rating test/renewals must consist of equal simulator time spent between automatics operation and raw data manual flying without the aid of MAP and FMC. Normally the combined proficiency/instrument rating renewal covers two hours for the PF. Of this at present, roughly 80 percent is full or partial automatics. The pure flying is thus relegated to maybe one hand flown approach but FD allowed. Quite useless in terms of pure flying currency.
Instead the two hour session should be shared equally between each discipline with (for example), the first hour allocated to automatics competency. In basic terms, the candidate's button pushing skills. The second hour should be similar flight path and navigation manoeuvres modified where necessary, but hand flown raw data no automatics, no FMC , no MAP. This tests the candidates pure flying skills.
Since "practice" hand flying is frowned upon in a growing number of airlines because of a perceived danger to flight safety and passenger comfort, then it is logical to ensure pure flying skills are maintained in the only thing left - the simulator. No coffee spilt, no passenger complaints and no extra cost. A compromise betwen commercial issues and flight safety.