Originally Posted by DC-ATE
One of the problems I see nowadays, is that "pilots" don't get a chance to be pilots with all the automation thrown at them. They don't get the chance to find out what "piloting" really is.
I know you're just joshing for the most part - but if you're referring to the trend these days for pilots to go almost directly from training - where they are communicating directly with the flight surfaces - to commuter or short-haul jet transports which contain degrees of automation all the way up to full FMS control from gear up to decision height, then I think your aim is a little off. Your ire should not be directed at the tool that makes it possible to do so, but at the companies who do not promote the understanding that despite all the automation, knowledge of your machine is a very important thing to have. Arguing that the advent of automation is itself a direct cause of a drop in perceived piloting ability would be like saying that the invention of the seatbelt or airbag was a direct cause of a fall in driving ability.
That said, economic reality is that newly-qualified pilots by-and-large need to convert that training into a way of making a living as quickly and effectively as possible - they don't really get to choose. Commercial aviation is about getting freight and passengers from one place to another as effectively as possible. Automation aids that goal and has empirically improved safety as a side-effect. If a pilot really feels the need to enjoy the rush of feeling a direct connection between themselves and their machine, would joining a flying club and batting a high-performance single-engined fireball around the sky not be a more appropriate outlet?