I had the pleasure to fly with Oxford graduate during my MCC / JOC course at Oxford.
And they was addicted to automation and magenta lines, as soon as we lifted of , and they was PF, Click click - LNAV, VNAV - AP , AT, job done!
Now I wanted to to hand fly the beast most possible, because I wanted to get value for my money, I knew that the autopilot was a very well capable pilot, and could fly the sim perfectly!
Yes, they where perfectly programmed robots, did not even have any SEP time PIC, now tell me about positive learning experience and the philosophies behind this?
I understand getting the correct mindset, and train of thought, to be streamlined into SOP's and check-lists, but these will have very limited experience being left to handle a situation where automation has failed, and they are alone in control, of course we know these things will NEVER happen, will they, just like AF447 would never happen!
I would say comparing to modular guys, who have been sorting out their own situation, and have had PIC time, been alone to handle whatever is thrown against them, the mentality of the airlines who believe in the streamlining of robots, is an extremely simplistic model.
Something Ryanair have proved, that regardless modular or integrated, if you have the right mindset you will succeed, of course given a chance.
However what these "big" training schools are doing, is locking out suitable candidates, just because they do not belong to the exclusive club that can afford to pay CTC £100.000 to get a job guarantee.
I am not impressed by what i have seen of their selection process, compared to what the germans and swiss do, this is a big joke, and another money spinning idea created by the people in charge!