Automation and Handling
Just for the record, I have 13k+ hours, mostly military and shorthaul plus training with a major airline. I converted to the B757 virtually at its introduction and was delighted to find a flight director which was actually of benefit (as opposed to the extraordinary instrument which used to dance all over ones AH). My colleagues and I were extremely skeptical of a TV presentation as opposed to the old steam driven panel but we were converted almost overnight.
At my next sim check, the awful truth struck home. F/D was turned off and A/T was available only at the training captain’s whim. Bearing in mind that these had only been an occasional addition up to the conversion (only 6 months previously), the abrupt degradation of my (and the other crew member’s) skills was an appalling eye-opener and one which I have impressed just AS HARD AS I CAN on the younger generation I have had the honour to try to teach. I have always begged them to turn off both F/D and A/T at least once a week (captain permitting –and I hope he would) and also to practice non-precision approaches as often as vis permits. I know that modern teaching rather sidelines NDB’s etc, but there are plenty of strange (to our Authority) parts of the world where such approaches are very necessary. Without an instinctive knowledge of how to conduct (and maybe even, heaven forfend, actually FLY) such an approach, disaster will soon bite your b@m!
Happy handling, Prober