Msb. That is the best focused point of view that the enlightened have iterated on here many times. The frustration is that it is being ignored. Those captains who are nervous at F/O's 'having a go' are of that frame of mind because they can not do it themselves. They can neither demonstrate the art nor monitor someone else. The new breed of captains, being promoted with half the experience of previous generations, have never learnt the art themselves. They then become sim instructors and don't know how to do it, nor can they demonstrate it on line. The skill spiral is ever downwards and incestuously self propagating. It is an appalling state of affairs.
It has come about via various factors.
1. The a/c are more sophisticated. Better autopilots; more modes; better displays; LNAV/VNAV has reduced mental calculation & monitoring.
2. Better ATC with more radar and more active control due to traffic density.
3. More ILS approaches, and if not available then LNAV/VNAV or RNAV profiles. Pilot judgement much diluted.
4. OFDM parameters & limits being expanded and tightened all the time. Pilots are scared of any infringement.
5. Active discouragement by management.
6. Lack of in-depth basic training of the basics of manual flying; and then lack of line practice. All that is done is the mandatory base training.
7. Captains being created with 1/2 the experience of yester-year and lacking the skills to pass on to the apprentices.
It has astonished, and saddened, me to experience the demise in basic piloting skills over 30 years. What I took for granted as the norm has become something of a rare & threatened species. Much of that root cause can be found outside the flight deck. I'm sure most cadets didn't join up to be button pushers, but they have had it been beaten into them and had their Biggles dreams curtailed.
It's a great deal to change: doing a 180 in a supertanker comes to mind. Someone has to decide to turn the wheel and then wait a very long time for the effect to be seen.
Last edited by RAT 5; 28th Feb 2016 at 12:30.