Just Fly the Plane
Just joined what has been an insightful thread and after reading this and other automation/airmanship debates I am left with one stark question - do we need to be thankful QF32 wasn't "AF32", as the outcome may have been somewhat different??
Fundamentally it should be the humans controlling the jet - using the automation to ease workload. The day a pilot loses control to the automation it's time to step out of the cockpit and find a desk somewhere.
Surely at landing weights when GA is called (especially on an unstable approach - rather than a late runway incursion) it should be a case of changing pitch, adding some power (not all of it!), gear up on positive climb and fly to the desired height, by hand - rather than it seems pushing some buttons and seeing what might happen.
Like I said - fly the plane!!