HC Wrote
Expendable as in you find it OK for pilots to be practising flying a degraded aircraft when the only passengers are other pilots, but not when the passengers are oil workers. Can you explain your double standards?
If voluntarily en route "hand" flying an S-92 or 225 without the upper modes and holds engaged at 5000' on a training sortie under the guidance of a Training Captain for night deck landing practice with 3 crew is considered to be flying a degraded aircraft to the extent that it unacceptably increases risk and categorizes pilots as expendable (in your opinion) then the world is going mad.
When else should pilots practice their "manual" flying skills?