Tilnexttime,
Thanks for your well-written post. I have been cringing at all the posters trying to suggest that ATC has a responsibility to spoon feed every aircraft in case they aren't up to FLYING the aircraft within reasonable limits on a CAVU day.
If you can't comply, just SAY SO!
Framer,
I suspect most do have those skills as both those manoeuvres are practiced regularly in the sim. The visual approach however........
Perhaps that is why we are starting to see the results of a generation of flight crews with bare minimum EXPERIENCE of flying anything but an FMC transitioning to commands.
I have always thought that a solid exposure to multiple aircraft types, without sophisticated AFCS is of far more value than 10,000 hours of monitoring.
It's all coming home to roost.