Pilots have changed.I recognize nothing familiar in the new breed.I see kids with blackberrys and ipads that never cuss.Its a whole new "profession" and I am now an outsider.Im displaced.
-The pilot that once was would never have accepted to fly in an aircraft with such piss-poor pilot involvement.Its frankly as if the designer has said "
You,you dont count,sit there and shut up"
-The pilot that once was would NEVER EVER have accepted to have the computer move the THS.Its a great big flt control surface and you want the computer moving it to its aerodynamic limit insidiously and during abnormals.Talk to the dead crew of Perpignan/Nagoya.Ask the TAROM/INTERFLUG/CAL/FINNAIR crew about how they feel about fighting for pitch control of their aircraft with a malcontent computer.
-The pilot that once was would never have put up with anything but a central stick with FULL TACTILE FEEDBACK and thrust levers that
move.The Airbus SS disconnects the pilot from the machine(ADI is sole feedback) and also the pilots from each other.Mr Caesar was quite right.Why did the PNF of 447 intervene so late?He appears to have recognized that the wrong stall recovery procedure was being flown,yet did nothing until it was too late?Why couldnt the Captain see a clear picture when he returned to the flt deck?Because the plane told him very little.No visible stick.No shaker.Not even a stall warning.He was the Captain and he was rendered helpless!Imagine someone inventing a plane that can remain in a DEEP STALL with no warning to the pilot.NUTS.
-The pilot that once was would never have let automation dependency cripple his manual flying skills.Pride in one's own ability to fly the plane..where has it gone?Today,its click click at 500' and fly the last minute of the ILS with the dual cue FD.A video game.And thats what the airlines want and certainly what the AIrbus is designed for.Do the pilots of today utter one word of objection and bring their concerns to management?Pilots used to be in mangement,now theyre not.Maybe thats one reason.
I think I see now how we've got to this sorry state.It was the pilots all along.The pilots have got what they deserve.Rugged independence replaced by meek submission.Military replaced by civilian.Pilot replaced by flight manager.It started with the introduction of CRM and picked up speed with the arrival of Airbus in the mid 80's.I see the new order in spades on this forum from the likes of safety concerns and iceman who hail the brave new world as the conquering hero.Political correctness out of control with de-unionized pilots paying to fly and at the mercy of some omnipotent HAL in the cockpit.
"I'm sorry Dave but I cant let you do that...."
It came true.Go figure.