Commander Jim Lovell, commander of NASA's Apollo 13, told Captain de Crespigny he hoped his message "on the effects of too much automation in aircraft controls will sink through".
Captain de Crespigny said modern cockpit automation induced pilots to focus on just the green and magenta targets (air speed, attitude, altitude and track) without being aware of underlying raw data.
"Many airlines either frown upon or refuse to let their pilots fly manually when the autopilot and auto thrust is available," he said.
IMHO it is not "too much automation" (former statement) it is not being allowed to choose when and when not to use it, (latter statement). I still don't understand why a B737 NG can not be flown on a regular basis like as B732 was, i.e. manually for arrivals and departures where & when appropriate. Switch off the FD's and A/T's. The NG has so much more information to make it a doddle for SA, but you keep the manual skills alive. I know operators who discourage such a heinous practice, and if you ever did venture into the dark abyss of such blasphemous actions then DO NOT even think of turning off the FD. Even if there is no ILS to lock it onto there should be an LNAV/VNAV path to give guidance.
Every so often we have an eye test and a reactions test, but for some managers the Mk.1 eyeball is not good enough. There has to be a magenta line and little diamond. There must be much 'turning in graves' going on from the old codgers who taught me.
IMHO it is this very discouragement that has made the job more difficult and messy, not the other way round.