You CAN override the autopilot on the Airbus, (but you shouldn't).
If you move the rudder pedals or the side stick with the autopilot engaged, the autopilot will disconnect.
The side stick is locked in neutral when the autopilot is on, but you can move it with enough force, at which point, as I say, the autopilot will disconnect. I suppose this allows an emergency reaction from a pilot given something really sudden and bad, such as a potential collision?
We used to be allowed to "Phase advance" the thrust levers by pushing them just out of the CLB gate and straight back into the gate again to increase revs on approach if the autothrust was being lazy, but this now has been outlawed. (I personally thought it was a very useful procedure, but a lot of pilots obviously misunderstood it and left the levers forward of the CLB gate for too long (i.e. more than a second, and ended up overspeeding).
All other actions, as others have said, are mode changes.
(sorry Alt - think we crossed there)
Last edited by Uplinker; 30th Sep 2013 at 06:24.