elaboration
for aterpster:
What I am trying to get at is the ability of some pilots to command their autopilot to climb to the maximum authorized altitude of the plane (service ceiling so the ancients like me liked to say) and would be unable to hand fly the plane at that altitude.
So too, taking your plane into any condition that required the use of autopilot and could not be flown ''by hand''.
to be sure, if regulations require the autopilot to be used (rvsm or Catii apch) you use the autopilot, but you must be able to actually hand fly the plane there in case the autopilot quits.