I am feeling that some of the dinosaurs here are resisting the concept of an inertially-based flight path symbol, coupled with a HUD are too much to ask. I also iterate some of my beefs and whines rom the last four years. Sorry, but I need to rant.
I try to live the situation of 447 and am deeply saddened. I understand to some of extent the complications of crew resource management and such in a plane with more than one "pilot". I never had that problem or challenge. If I screwed up, it was me. I didn't take 200 PLF's with me.
I understand the mentality of "you can't stall this plane", but I also learned the best I could all the reversion laws and such of the first operational FBW system in the world. After all, you never, not ever, commanded actual control surface position or rates with zero stick/yolk feedback. In our family model we could not see or feel was the nugget in the other seat was attmpting. In an extreme situation, as with sensed AoA above 30 degrees or so, HAL would allow you to use the "manual stick override" feature, and you could actually control horizontal stab like the 'bus "direct mode".
As 'doze pointed out, in the "airshow/demo" accident and with 447, it is possible to fly the jet to a condition that precludes recovery. So I question basic airmanship and knowledge of the plane's capabilities and aero characteristics.
Back to my main whine - why not a flight path vector clearly displayed to show you what the plane is actually doing with zero air data, and a very simple device that resembles what you see looking forward as you fly those last thousand feet before touchdown begin the flare.
I flew with such things from 1971 until 1984. I checked out many commercial reserve and guard pilots. They simply loved the displays and capabilities.
see:
HGS-3500 Head-up Guidance System
Maybe I am not informed of what the current commercial jets use for basic attitude reference, or if they have an inertial system for nav and velocity vectors. Seems to me that many vendors have provided these since the 70's, although we military pukes used them from the early 60's.
Sorry for the rant, and I'll watch the reaction.