A question from an outsider:
Is it a regular practice on normal flights in flight phases with no stress (weather, hurry, ...) to fly with autopilot off, with the intent to keep the feeling for the airplane handling and the routine checks of AOA, speed, horizon, thrust alive?
Is there in said calm phases a kind of emergency preparation like the captain asking: "Now that we have time: both FACs die in smoke - what would you do? Oil pressure left engine drops. What would you do? Recurring component failure because of broken solder joint - what would you do? ..."