For pilots, it is our responsibility to maintain our own basic handling skills. When I flew long haul on 767 and 777's a lot of us would take off and hand fly to final cruising altitude, as we only got a few legs a month. We had to take the opportunity we had
Much depends not only on the specific policy in the company operations manual but also the captains personal enthusiasm for hand flying. If a company mandates automatics from liftoff to touch down, there is nothing you can do about it unless you want to risk your job.
It was 52 years ago when David Davies wrote his book "Handling the Big Jets" yet it remains arguably one of the most readable books on airmanship for airline pilots ever written. One memorable paragraph in the book that has always struck a chord with this reader, is where Davies wrote: "Airline flying really is money for old rope most of the time; but when things get hairy
then you earn your pay. As we get older we all become slightly jaded, slightly more tired - and this is a bit of a trap. The demand of jet transport flying can best be met by enthusiasm. Personal enthusiasm for the job is beyond value because it is a self-productive force, and those who have it do not have to be pushed into practice and the search for knowledge. Enthusiasm generates its own protection. This is the frame of mind which needs to be developed for the best execution of the airline pilot's task."
D.P Davies added: "Finally, do not be lazy in your professional lives. The autopilot is a great comfort, so are the flight director and the approach coupler. But do not get into the position where you need these devices to complete the flight. Keep in practice in raw ILS, particularly in crosswinds. Keep in practice in hand-flying the aeroplane at altitude and in making purely visual approaches"
When that was written the automatics were not nearly as sophisticated as they are now. But his words of advice still stand the test of time. Although some companies require their crews to engage the automatic pilot soon after take off and leave them engaged until short final, not every chief pilot feels that is really necessary. Some leave the automatics decision to the captain; in other words, flexibility is encouraged. That enlightened attitude is unfortunately quite rare nowadays.
The problem being, the more brain-washed into automatics some pilots may become, the less confident they have in their own ability to hand fly without the crutch of the flight director or other goodies. This leads to what we now know as automatics addiction or automatics dependency - just what David Davies warned against. I suspect that was happening in his day as well - hence his words of caution. The inevitable downhill slide occurs causing some captains to rationalise their own lack of handling confidence by also discouraging their young enthusiastic first officers against practicing hand flying in general. Soon the first officers lose their manual flying confidence.. One day they become captains and the inevitable vicious circle starts again Which is now the current situation in airlines large and small around the world.
I believe if pilots were actively encouraged through company SOP to practice their hand flying skills on instruments within commonsense parameters, the bogey of Loss of Control accidents would reduce over time. That said, there will be rare events requiring superb handling skills and this is why the vital importance of training in the simulator for unusual attitude recoveries will always remain.
D.B. Davies sage advice should be framed and displayed in every crew room..