More to the point, after a UAS/autopilot disconnect incident the priority should be to just keep the thing stable. In cruise the FD, being a visual guide as to how autoflight would follow the FMS programming, is only really useful for navigation and to a lesser degree maintaining flight level. Like autopilot, the FD cannot aid a recovery.
In short, Aviate, Navigate, Communicate - in that order. The FD only really applies to the second of these.
Last edited by DozyWannabe; 16th May 2012 at 20:05.