Amongst other suggestions made I like the idea of mandating that routine sim sessions include at least one scenario in which the correct response is to turn off the automation and hand fly; preferably with a subsequent recovery from unusual attitude, instrument failure, or difficult raw data procedure thrown in just for laughs.
This has the benefit of imprinting this as a possible and acceptable behaviour. It also means candidates will have to maintain their instrument skills at least at the level they achieved when passing their instrument ratings.
In order to facilitate the latter mandate all Airlines to require their pilots log a particular number of manual flying hours per year.
For those who have been there and done that. What would your recommendations for minimum hand flying be ? Obviously balancing the requirement to maintain these skills in the particular aircraft flown with commercial pressures and passenger safety. What areas of flying would you feel were most important to cover (approaches, low level manoeuvring, high altitude manoeuvring)?