DW:
Airbus aircraft do retain a degree of artificial feel to allow the pilot to know what the *aircraft* is doing, but what CONF and the others are banging on about is the fact that on the Airbus you can't directly feel what the other *pilot* is doing. That's the issue, and that's what I'm talking about when it comes to back-drive.
What is the nature of the artificial feel you mention?
If not to the sidestick then where?
Lack of back drive (what the other pilot is doing) is a seperate issue than tactile feedback (what the airplane is doing) to the controls.
The lack of "what the other pilot is doing" feedback seems to me to be more questionable than "what the airplane is" doing since that data is available in many other forms but the PNF appears to not have a way to tune in to "input vs response" of the aircraft.