TheInquisitor - I wouldn't be so sure. If you examine the accidents, deaths, incidents per thousand flights you'll find that flying is safer than ever. But this is of little consolation to the relatives and loved ones of those who have died. Now some of this can attributed to aircraft design. For example, the Asiana 777; who could image that there would be so few injuries and fatalities from that crash? I am also sure that cockpit automation is responsible for the current lack of incidents and accidents. Though what we are not doing as an entire industry is adapting our training and procedures to match the aircraft we are now flying. The whiff of old fashioned ex-airforce macho culture from the sixties and seventies can still be smelt within too many training and national oversight authorities. And I'll also agree that we have moved too far way from stick'n'rudder. It's been 20 years since I've tried to pull the wings off an aircraft. I've stalled a biggish jet (Fokker 100) a few times and had a good play about in a Fokker 50 but again, this was years ago.
What we all need is fewer pointless boxes to tick and regular, simple basic training for when horrible things happen.