@ Blind Pew - Re the BA747 - just because they declared a mayday doesn't mean there was an actual threat to the aircraft present. The circumstances of the incident are now public knowledge. The aircraft was safely flyable with sufficient fuel at all times. There was no danger present, although the incorrect suspicion that there might be led to an abundance of over-caution.
On the subject of the back-stick input, it's well known that people can thrash the controls under extreme stress without realising it. However to maintain that input for a prolonged period is concerning.
Few people will disconnect an autopilot at cruise levels for a jolly, but most of us will have been required to do so at one time or another. The A320 is a far easier aircraft to fly at altitude than a 747 as it exhibits the same behaviour throughout the envelope. I presume the A330 is the same.