"Randy Babbitt at the US FAA is worried that high levels of automation are causing the loss of traditional pilot skills, and believes pilot training should be reviewed to take this into account. Do you have views on this?"
"His name is
Randy Babbitt? Really? Oh well - current pilot training is very similar to the training that took place before automation came into prevalence. You don't lose "traditional pilot skills" (and by this I assume you mean hand-flying competence as opposed to, say, knowledge of astro-navigation) through
training. You lose these skills through lack of on-line practice and that is the provision of company SOPs, not training programs - so
Randy Babbitt doesn't know what he is talking about."
Well, that would have been my answer. Perhaps I should apply for the job?