Pilot handling skills under threat, says Airbus

[Northbeach]

handling skills weak, I'm shocked and surprised - - - not.

I just finished reading/scanning all 217 previous posts, and it has been an interesting and enjoyable Sunday morning read. What stood out to me was the vast range of philosophy that exists regarding the use of automation. A passenger could get either of the two extremes; one commander never turning off the automation including using the autoland feature at the destination (VFR). The next commander hand flying the Whale up into the upper atmosphere and back down to the runway to Cat 1 minimums; it’s a big world “Viva la differance”.

As a 50 year old current 737 NG captain sitting in the back I know who I would prefer to be flying the jet. I will take the man/woman who chooses to hand fly, every day of the week.

I learned to fly back in the late 70s. I am glad my instructors taught me to hold on ADF bearings in a cross wind, and determine distance by calculating the degrees change to station and time. I’m grateful I cut my teeth flying passengers into and out of remote airstrips in marginal weather with lots of cross winds. My skills were never as sharp as they were when I was flying single pilot multi engine IFR without an autopilot day in day out. I have done flight instructing, bush flying, commuter, cargo, corporate experience building over decades, and I think I am a better pilot for having climbed the ladder.

Military pilots are fine; most of them have done things with jets I will never do. That is wonderful I’m duly impressed. However, if I have my choice, I would rather fly with a civilian who has gone through the stages: flight instructor, cargo, commuter airline. Give me a first officer who has served as a Captain (2 or more years) on a commuter turboprop flying 8 sectors a day in and out of weather and making all the related decisions, and I will just about guarantee you a delightful day of flying with an individual possessing enviable flying skills. {Buffalo-Captain was recent upgrade, FO was quite new-sure there are exceptions.}

And that brings me back to the origin of this thread:

Pilot handling skills under threat, says Airbus

I have yet to ever need to question my partner’s “handling skills”. With a mature aviation background {no one year wonders at our outfit} the individual has a wealth of knowledge and experience to fall back on. As for myself, I need to turn the “magic” off once in a while to refresh the scan and motor skills. Thankfully my company encourages this.

Now somebody else takes a low time pilot and places them in the pointy end of a complicated jet, then takes the automation that pilot has trained on away and is "concerned' when they observe some deficiencies. Go figure! What did you expect?