Some pilots don't have the skill to consistently handle something slightly out of the normal. No matter what equipment they sit in, if the fella with them is not up to scratch the outcome may not be desirable.
Operators need to realise that wasting valuable simulator time on full use of automatics instead of giving crews (particularly low experience copilots) hands-on raw data instrument flying practice at high and low altitudes and circuit work with crosswinds, is counter productive. The current accident record of Loss of Control events attests to this
To stop the rot of automation dependence and automation addiction which is the basis of most loss of control in IMC accidents, the time is well overdue to reverse the rush to still more automation in the simulator and fix the problem by increasing the amount of manual raw data flying given to pilots
in the simulator.
Let's face it - you are never going to change the oft myopic view of airline management that manual flying even in the most ideal ATC and weather, is a hazard inflicted on passengers and must be avoided at all costs lest one grumpy passenger complains his coffee is being spilt by the actions of a ham-fisted captain or co-pilot.
It is a good bet that most check pilots and simulator instructors tasked with conducting type rating and recurrent simulator training, would never dream of taking a control seat in order to demonstrate what they want the "student" to do. We are talking about hand flying on instruments without the crutch of a flight director. After all, even the most inexperienced low hour instructor at a flying school has to chance his arm and first demonstrate a manoeuvre to his student. If simulator instructors don't have the skills to do that, they shouldn't be in the job.
if the simulator instructor is too scared of stuffing up in front of the crew member he is supposed to be training, then how on earth can the crew member learn by example? A picture is worth a thousand words is so true in the context of simulator training.