I think it is a taken that the autos are much better to be used in certain circumstances. This is both for pax comfort, the exercising of good airmanship and flight management, and safety. However, what I often see is the autopilot taking the low experienced F/O for a ride. plug it in and off we go; yes, but to where? This is what I told it to do so I expect it to do it. Wait until you get married and try that philosophy. Why are aeroplanes female? (awaiting incoming: head down)
They need nurturing, watching and a helping hand now and then. If you don't what they should be doing, how & when, then it's difficult to intervene in time with a careful nudge. (aeroplanes that is)
Understanding the performance envelope is more possible with good hands on experience. Achieving this in the 80's on needles & dials a/c around the Greek islands was the norm and very enjoyable. I can't remember too many prangs in that enviroment and era.
I still thnik the pax expect us to be able to save the day when windows 69 takes a dislike to events and wants a day off. We should expect a major uproar if an accident report says 'george' crashed the a/c because the pilots let it. Ah, but then that has already happened, hasn't it, and where is the lasting uproar not only from pax but from CAA's? Decayed very quickly after every event.
How to achieve the level of handling skills from the past?...I don't know. It wasn't only the handling skills that were better, it was the ability to assimilate a lolt of information AND fly the a/c manually. You had only a DME, a needle and an altimeter to execute a CDA; and sometimes not even a DME. The ability to create a mental picture of where you were in 4 dimensions was necessary. It is not any longer. The MAP and VNAV makes it so easy, but still situational awareness is not as good as it should be. Take away the VNAV bug and look out of the window to fly a visual would be a No No for some pilots. It is considered almost dangerous to fly an approach with no G.P guidance, and sometimes not allowed at night. What ever happened to basic Mk.1 eyeball flying? Handling skills is one thing, but assessing a correct G.P should be as natural as knowing where the wind is coming from to a sailor. I see too many F/O's flying the F.D down to minima and beyond on a clear day. They have not been instilled with, 'set a sensible power, set a correct attitude, trim it, and then guide it gently, with fine corrections down to the TDZ by looking at the crash point and keeping that in the same place of the window. With so much head-in flying, assessing a correct G.P. is difficult to learn in the first place.
1 hour sim per year is not enough to learn these skills. Real life is the only way, but I understand fully why C.P's are reluctant to encourage daily piloting. They are answerable to the safety and financial people, and ulitmately so are we.
Difficult to find a solution to all our frustrations. Imagine you are in the C.P's shoes. What would you, exactly? Would you 'take the risk', or take the path of least risk as your bosses see it? I'm told that the arrival of bright sunny days also brings the increase in high energy approaches and gate busts. It is very sad, but the C.P's have an obligation to find a short-term solution. Automatics to full approaches or not too much of a short cut for a visual. The longterm solution to piloting skills will take a long time to find and enact. All C.P's have their own opinion. A coordinated response will only come via coordinated CAA's demanding some requirements, and I doubt that will happen.
I've never been to any 'training conferences', but I wonder what topics are discussed there and what conclusions were drawn and philosophies adopted. Can anyone help us with some insight?
Keep the blue side up.