3. So far, so good. But (and there is always a but), this will inevitably lead to an increasing and insidious disconnect between the pilot and the aircraft. Manual flying skills have likely degraded somewhat. Pilots now may have less situational awareness than in years gone by. There is perhaps a tendency for them to not fully understand all the systems - they know how to operate them under normal conditions sure, but is it possible for them to really understand what is happening when a serious problem suddenly appears out of routine. I accept that all this is a generalization and a gross over-simplification. But even so, is there some truth in this?
PM is a euphemism. And whats the PF doing anyway?
This raises interesting questions about experience. What does it mean to have 10,000 hrs of experience if 7,500 or more of that time was spent staring at the computer flying the a/c. The reality of the modern flight deck may be closer to Pilot Staring and Pilot Doing Nothing. Talk about ennui.
