Dozy, Power + Attitude = performance when flying.
(For a given configuration, be it clean, flaps at x degrees, gear down, whatever ....)
To trim for G or flight path, rather than for attitude, is to add complexity to that simple performance formula. There may be good design reasons for that to include passenger comfort, optimal cruise fuel consumption, or a dozen other factors.
Once the conversion course is over, who is flying, and how often? Considering recency and frequency of training and prifociency in flying: who is flying and how, when they are flying and particularly when they are hand flying?
(regarding AF 447 and a few other UAS events, without airspeed indications, you don't have a critical performance instrument, but you do have available in this case both pitch and power information, and you have both altimeter and VSI to get a sense of "level" or '1 G' flight, or something other than that).
Last of all, if like most pilots you are initially taught the above forumula, and imbed that relationship first, how many reps of a different conceptual approach do you need in order to fly "G" or "flight path" rather than pitch using your hands and feet, and internalize that? Varies with each pilot, I suspect.
I'd be interested to hear from those who do pilot training and conversion comment on the above. When pilots actually fly the Magic Bus, are the pilots flying pitch and power?
Some apparently do. (based on various inputs from actual pilots in 3+ years of this topic)
Are they wrong to do so, since the plane as designed isn't meant (under the Normal condition) to fly attitude but rather flight path? (It was painful for me to type that, but that is where this sub genre of discussion of flight modes and laws has taken me).
HazelNuts: zero vertical speed translates to "0" on the VSI when flying, right?
