BOAC: back on track indeed. The basic tests, LST & LPC, are ancient in todays world. We are allowed, encouraged, to use automatics for an NPA. Not to have 1 available would be a multi-failure on a modern jet. However, the LPC test manoeuvres are similar for many types. Do all smaller pax a/c have multi autopilots? 1 broken = manual approaches.
The only manual manoeuvre is the SE work. That worries me. It is negative training. In a multi-autopilot a/c, with an engine failure, why not fly the approach with the A/P. Managing the automatics in the non-normal scenario is what the real world needs. Are we trained for it, or could mis-managing the auto's be the final piece of cheese that lines up the holes? If we decide that is the way to go it has to come from the top = CAA's. The other solution, if things stay the same, is for companies to give more training/recurrency time in use of automatics in some very strange circumstances. Real training to a proficiency, not a fast pass at 1 secenario quickly followed by another and another, then a tick in the box that recurrency has been satisfied. The airline is responsible for ensuring the OVERALL proficiency of its PILOTS.
If the way forward in testing is to use automatics the way we should in the real world during NNC's, then the opposite should be true and companies would give extra time to develop manual flying skills. Same reasoning as above. In both cases it will cost the airlines time/money so it won't happen.
What about an LPC using automatics and an OPC using manual skills? I still believe the pax expect us to be a safe insurance and get them home safely when the sparks fly; or don't.
Further, given that we seem to agree the future is towards having system operators and less pilots, I'd like to see a complete re-think of airline's personal charateristics for student pilots. They ask for people who will be very over-educated for the tasks involved and probably of different motivation for the future life styles that they will inherit. Causes the wingeing syndrome we are so familiar with. Wrong type of people in wrong places. During an interview for Air Heathrow I was told they did not recruit F/O's, but captains, and not even captains but future managers. Pilot was not in the vocabulary. OK a A380/B747 captain might be more of a cruise liner captain personna than a LoCo B738 captain. Indeed it does require a different personna. Do airlines recruit for that? Not in my opinion. Another major carrier told me they did not require more than 1 experienced pilot on board and that captains flew the a/c and station managers made all other decisions. With ACARS & SAT phones they could always ask for help. Again, a very different enviroment than the F50/EMB135 6 sector a day pilot. Different horses for courses and different training worlds. Some very automated, others verfy basic. The Highlands & Islands type flying needs a different animal to the A380 pilot.
Is there any motivation to change the aviation world, anywhere? I find it sad when I read an airline does not recruit experienced F/O's or non-type rated DEC's. Could this the start of a trend towards cloning their own monkeys? Easier and cheaper, or is it in fact the modern version of all the major carriers (EU) who used to have their own training schools for raw recruits. get 'em young and mold into the way of our church. No bad habits. Brain washed in our mehtods. I still meet ex-major pilots who've spent their whole lives in one cosy nest and believe there is only one way to to do it, and their's is the best.
How long before ATC start flying the a/c and we do really become system monitors? They like to do it now by command. It's worse than being married. Do this, do that and no back chat. Trouble is that sometimes they ask for something which is not appropriate, but I still see Topgun over there get sucked into it and start to wonder if it'll work out OK. There is a hesitation to say, " I, the responsible commander, would prefer to do something else, as from where I sit this is not going to work out comfortably." That's a whole new thread and I'll leave that for another time.