LeadSled:
foxniner,
You sure about that? How about the pilot flying handling the thrust levers and trim
Absolutely positive. But let me rephrase.
If you leave the a/t off, YOU fly the plane while SOMETHING else is trimming, --> the autotrim system!
Every time you change power on the underslung engines, the aircraft will retrim,
if the airspeed remains the same.
This is unlike all other, older Boeing aircraft, where you have to compensate yourself for the underslung engines while flying.
If you leave the autothrottle off in a 777, it is sort of "more demanding" to manually fly the airplane, because you have to compensate for the autotrim system in a way that you have never done on another a/c type before. It is "an annoying way of flying". It can be done though. But you have to be aware of the little details.