going fine until the AP was disengaged, then it was all audio alarms and frantic arm wrestling,
To be honest BEags old chum, you really do show yourself up to be an ar$e at times. The "audio alarms" would be the A/P disconnect warning. The "frantic arm wrestling" would doubtlessly be a couple or 3 inputs of trim on the thumbwheel to counter the designed in nose up trim (<1500R or do I forget - I'm sure someone will remind me). Oh yes, and you've been up since 0730 the previous morning - so just the 24 hrs - the sun's right where you don't want it to be, off a VOR approach to an appreciable upslope that you certainly don't want to land on the wrong side of. And you still weigh more than the max AUW of a VC10. Yes, I've smacked it in at ASI - and many other places beside - but then I guess we can't all be as perfect as you.