Originally Posted by
shaun ryder
But why? The reason we request visual approaches is so that we can hand fly the aircraft down to the runway isn't it?
No, it's so you can make an approach visually for economic and expeditious reasons.
You can also hand fly under vectors, on a procedure and on an instrument approach (can't you?!). All of which ultimately end up at the runway.
It matters not which kind of approach you are undertaking you may hand fly or not.