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Old 6th Mar 2016, 17:03
  #32 (permalink)  
Discorde
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: England
Age: 77
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Perhaps it's a generational thing too. We oldsters would get a reroute from ATC, look at our en route chart and tweak the heading bug appropriately, knowing that refinement would be possible soon afterwards. By contrast, the youngsters would reach for the FMC as the first response.

Fine weather, approaching destination, little traffic. You announce to the FO that you'll knock out the automatics and F/D and fly a manual circuit and approach using the stopwatch. Look of horror from the RHS! 'This old fart doesn't know how to program the FMC!'

Again, fine weather, approaching destination, little traffic. It's the FO's leg so you don't interfere. He's constructed the approach in the FMC - fair enough, you think - it's his choice. Downwind leg - still in auto, but I expect he'll knock it out soon. Base leg - doesn't he want to have a go himself? On final - at 500 feet he announces he's disengaging. What a waste! you think.
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