Hello all,
Iīve read most of the posts on this thread.
They are all technically correct.
It is an interesting question for a well argumented technical discussion.
The way I see it is that many are relying too much on automation and forget that automation is there to help you reduce your workload. And most of the time it works perfectly as long as you feed it with the correct information.
Donīt forget that the flight laws are the same for every aircraft regardless of its level of automation.
A/P basic modes are HDG/ALT. Those work well, are readily available and override whatever information you put in the box.
Remember revert to your basic fliying skills. If they are well cemented you should have no problem getting rid if automation and fly a modern jetliner like any other general aviation aircraft.