Originally Posted by Z-K
I apologize if this sounds like an odd question, as I have no experience on jets
- no need to apologise - it will depend on where you fly and what procedures are in place. 99% of the time in 'normal' ops you will be radar vectored. Occasionally you will find things like holds and reversals required in a procedure. If your Captain is willing, there is no reason why you should not fly ANY procedure which does not require automation in 'manual'. Holds are more frequently encountered, normally before an approach procedure starts as part of the arrival pattern, and these again are 'available' to you in 'manual'..From what I hear and read, it will be unlikely anyone will encourage A/T off in an Airbus. You never know.
'Requesting' the full procedure would be a foolish way to make a lot of enemies. It happened to me once inbound some place somewhere (Lanzarote, I think) where some bozo did exactly that 'for training' (in CAVOK) with 5 a/c on the way in at the same time, and I had one similar idiot fly a full procedure in Faro in CAVOK with a few inbounds as well - and that was in a twin piston
.Such 'training' events are normally flown at either quiet airfields or quiet times.