Lee Kang Kuk, a 46-year-old pilot who was landing the big jet for his first time at San Francisco, "stated it was very difficult to perform a visual approach with a heavy airplane."
Sorry, but anyone who thinks performing a visual approach on a beautiful summer day is "very difficult" has absolutely no business sitting in the pointy end of a commercial jet.
Absolutely
. No contest.
I actually found it easier in a 747 than presently in a microlight (LSA) due to ........ inertia, I would occasionally, when passing 500 ft, on the centre line, right height,right rate-of-descent, right speed, right power, checks complete, suggest to my hand flying co-pilot that now only he could fcku it up, change nothing until initiating the landing flare ! (unless of course some external factor interferred)
I recall doing hand flying circuits in a 707 - the aircraft, not the simulator, and ATC asked the training captain why he had requested that the VASI's ( pre-PAPI ) be turned off, 'cos these guys have to learn to sort it out for themselves, was the reply, but of course that was before iPads had been invented,or INS, or FMS, or GPS, maybe even before Bill Gates had even been born all we had was a pair of hands and a pair of eyes and an aeroplane - magic, I'd love to be able to have another go !