Originally Posted by gums
I do not recommend that the 'bus go from full laws to "direct law" willy nilly. But seems to me that a few practice sessions in the real jet in "direct law" would provide a lotta confidence to the crews and also show them the inherent characteristics of the jet.
Your experience makes you the most knowledgeable man here around on FBW and flight control laws.
Do not lose of sight that direct law is already practiced for every single early part of takeoff and every late part of landing by an Airbus pilot.
Direct law is also active after a number of malfunctions, which are encountered during usual training.
Direct law has been practiced during the initial training when only one Flight Control Computer was left ON to demonstrate how the Airbus behaves as a 'conventional aircraft'.
Also some exercises as LOST OF ELEV and MANUAL BACKUP go further that direct law as the main way to control pitch and overall performance is done through the THS ONLY (stick useless for pitch control).
Just to mention that direct law is not that wild thing.
But what I’m more interested here is how direct law would have simplified the all situation of AF447.