I do not have a solution, alf - that is for more qualified folk than me. Nor is it wrong to try to ensure that this very 'management' or whatever is driving the situation is thinking about the issue. No, I do not wish to revert to flying ILS on Turn and Slip, or inclinometers or wing-warping, but you must admit that whatever 'bells and whistles' (make that now 'Ecam and alerts'?) a system provides, IF(when?) it goes tits up, providing a pilot has basic control of the a/c and basic reliable (even if crude) information, he/she should be capable of recovering to a more safe environment. I'm sure, as one of the older generation like me, you treasured the ability to disconnect the autopilot from the automatic vertical/lateral navigation system and, knowing where you were and where you wanted to go were then able to use basic piloting skills to actually FLY the aircraft while the 'what's it doing now' mist burnt off?
My fear is that this concept is no longer built into the mindset of the 'modern' pilot. My fear is that in the 447 case (since that is where I began this thread) they were 'expecting' something magic to happen' rather than ensuring that it did. That primarily is my concern.
I said many moons ago, that once the 'spamcan' in the PPL syllabus has some form of LNAV as a standard (which is probably not far away) the concept of 'where am I' may completely disappear too. I saw that very mindset 5 years ago when there was an LNAV issue in my company and one particular pilot was COMPLETELY lost without the HSI Nav display - no concept of PLOG/time/tuning a beacon or even looking out of the window - just a disbelieving fixed stare at a useless EHSI. The problem is with us - let's address it. The call is for input from greater minds than mine, alf, particularly those with influence. After all, the little boy shouting that the king was actually naked probably did not have a complete set of clothes in a holdall for the king, but simply and genuinely felt someone should be aware.
Your opening para is indeed valid, alf, but who, then is to tell the king?