Thanks Scud.
Not what I wanted to hear, but if the heavy folks can live with such an implentation ( or die with 200 SLF in the back), then seems their choice( the SLF don't vote).
I can understand some basic profile settings, like climb for optimum rate of climb or range when cruising, and descent to a specified atltitude, tho I don't like that one, and the Asiana crew witnessed that sub-mode of Otto and throttle otto).
My only experience with the climb and descent otto, held the speed or mach, and I set the throttle to whatever I wanted or needed.
I can also understand the jet adjusting the power once level to get the best cruise mach and such. Ditto for a climb profile, but don't know why otto would adjust the throttle(s) as the crew could just set the power to the basic setting from the manaul.
But seems to me that there are still a plethora of modes and sub-modes that are connected with the autopilot modes, and it gets confusing.
If the policy is to fly the USAF technique of point the jet and use throttle for speed, regardless of the optimum AoA for an approach, then I understand that. But the last thing I wanted was a system that was hard to understand depending upon a host of other systems that were supposed to "help" you.
Even if the whole profile was flown by HAL, then the faux pilots would have to monitor system operation and detect a problem or whatever. Why not just fly the jet yourself and take pride in nailing the mach for climb and cruise and setting power for descent to reach the initial approach fix at the right altitude and.....