Thank you, Conf.
When I read the 'bus "manuals" and such that we have had provided here, I see a plethora of reversion "laws" that are not really "laws". They are simply less restrictions on bank angle, pitch attitude, a few AoA functions and associated "warning" chimes or whatever, and the beat goes on.
My main point is that the pilots need both understanding of the system and the flying/handling characteristics of the jet when they aren't sitting there "managing" systems. So Conf's statement rings home to this old pilot. Some of us are not anti-computer or anti-FBW or anti-anything. We just need to know when we have control or HAL is getting in the way.
The "basic" control laws of the 'bus must be made clear, and there just seems to me that those basic laws are not well-known amongst the crews, and the warnings and advisory stuff does not reflect the actual aero condition of the jet when it loses a sensor or two.
BTW, I use the term "HAL" because it implies some artificial intelligence on the part of the basic FBW system design I have seen in the 'bus manuals we have had linked to here. And I don't like it.
There are "limits" and "protections" but I am not sure that the system clearly distinguishes which is which as far as the pilot understands.
I still maintain that too many "limits" are embedded in the reversion sequences that are not necessary for safely flying the jet when we have such a simple failure as pitot-static system problems. We don't need a direct control of the elevator or ailerons/spoilers as if we were flying a P-51 70 years ago. I see too many "protections" embedded in the control laws of the 'bus that are not necessary for basic flying the jet, and they can cause confusion for the pilots when sierra happens.
I am not sure that all the 'bus "limits" were specified by pilots. My gut feeling is that the FBW design offered an opportunity to do "neat" things, and the sfwe folks went with a few suggestions. The emphasis upon auto-everything except putting on the brakes after touchdown and steering the jet to the ramp bothers me.