only decoupling when stable and within .75 mm.
Personally. I don't think that gives you enough time to get up to speed for flying the aircraft manually.
In the distant past on 332s I would declare 'autopilots are for weenys' at the take off point. I would then fly the leg autopilot out, albeit in daylight, and land it offshore. I once demonstrated to an incredulous co-pilot how it could fly normally with my hands in the air. I have also been known to do offshore shuttles with it out as well.
decommissioned rig and put it 10 miles off Aberdeen
I once did a night shuttle when the Millar was being built. Because of a crane rig on the Western side of the platform the landing was a left hand seat job. After hovering in space for some time I told the co-pilot to go around so we could have a talk about it. (or words to that effect)
It transpired that his total offshore night flying experience had been to a stacked rig in Aberdeen harbour. On this basis he had been signed off as fully competent for night operations in the North Sea.
Luckily I was ex single pilot on the Puma and also the S76 so I could carry on with the shuttle doing his landings cross-cockpit.