Originally Posted by BOAC
Was the 447 PF 'relying' on some electronic guardian angel to look after him while he (following the FD?), zoom climbed and then tried to keep the nose up?
As a non-pilot engineer I'm reluctant to speculate on a pilot's forum about what might have been going on in the 447 PF's mind. I just can't see any reason for him to zoom-climb to seek the limit of envelope protection.
I've no experience with FD's but note that they were mostly unavailable in the first 40 seconds of the zoom-climb, and locked on to 6000 fpm V/S then 1400 fpm only after the pilot commanded those RoC's apparently independently of the FD's.