Originally Posted by Clandestino
Trick is to have each and every airline pilot remember them and perform them flawlessly when his body clock says its 4AM, when he's jet-lagged, when he hasn't handflown the plane above FL100 for ages (if ever), when he does less than half a dozen manual landings per month, when he has never experienced control laws degradation and protection loss in real life and only seldom in simulator, when his knowledge of the principles of flight is lacking as he was only made to memorize the multiple choice answers to pass ATPL exams, etc... Whoever patents practical solution to this problem will quickly become millionaire.
Communications is the solution. (Actually, it solves an incredible lot of problems most people don't think of.)
When the auto-throttle and auto-pilot disconnect and Otto says meatware has the plane PF should start to execute the correct (UAS) drill AND PNF should start reading out the procedure to be checked off one by one. The PNF should call it out loud and clear. PF should repeat loud and clear.
If they face a memory drill, PF may act, but PNF must call out the memory procedure and PF must acknowledge with the full step's instructions. Then you have two human brains working on the same problem in case one flies South for the winter or something. If PF fails to acknowledge PNF swats him over the head with two day old pizzas. If PNF fails to call out the drill, PF shouts obscenities about his 33rd cousin's maiden aunt - anything to get the communications cycle running with check and cross check.
It's so darned simple it's not even patentable.
I tell you three times, Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Therefore it must be true. (Sorry Mr. Carroll for mangling it. But, as a dirty job it had to be done.)