Why this interdiction ?? .. it's so dangerous .. ? .. so .. this can explain why AF447 had some ... troubles .....
You just have to be smooooooth to fly in cruise at altitude. Actually no big deal once you relax. Unfortunately, AF447's PF was anything but relaxed or smooth. The unexpected cavalry charge set his heart racing and it appears he never did begin to fly cooly and deliberately. He continued to beat snakes with the stick all the way down.
Unless you are in RVSM airspace, pilots should be grabbing a few minutes of stick time just to keep the feel of the aircraft. What kind of back up system can you be if you don't actually fly?
Sim time twice a year? Give me a break. Flying is one of those skills that needs more frequent refreshing. Sims are close, but not quite the real deal. On an 8 hour+ cruise, the extra fuel used because you are hand flying for 5 minutes can probably be measured easily with a cup, that is, if you are smooth
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