After a few sectors with new F/O’s, F/Ds off and A/T off below RVSM. Some of our shorter sectors never make it above FL260. All briefs at the departure point and hand flying from takeoff to touchdown, without F/Ds. New F/O’s need to be reminded that F/Ds provide guidance information only. The command bars are always darting about the PFDs. The new F/O's are forever chasing the pitch and roll bars in an endless game as if trying to tame those rogue bars.
I de-select one mode at a time, pitch off, then on, then roll off then on. This starts the scan process going, then eventually both modes off. The grin on their faces appears when they discover how smooth they handle th ejet without command bars to chase about the PFD. I don't permit the use of the FPV either. If weather permits, raw data and visual approaches are accomplished too. What it comes down to is that we as trainers need to re-acquainting new F/O’sto the 4 fundamentals of flight.
Manual flying leads to manual descent planning calculations to get away from their total reliance of the FMC. But that’s a topic for another thread.
Last edited by captjns; 12th May 2013 at 14:55.