Quoted VictorC10
What is all this nonsense about people not being able to hand fly either with or without FD, or fly ILS. What utter crap. If you don't practice now and again, sure your your handling might be a bit rough (i.e. not so smooth) but your not going to turn into a jellyfish...like some people on here seem to think. And if your company lets you turn the FD off then turn it off if you want, if they don't leave it on.
VictorC10, from your quote I am guessing you have no experience as a trainer.
Because there is a HUGE difference in the required skill in flying with or without FDs ( Flight Directors). I can teach a 8 years old boy in a simulator to fly reasonably following a flight director. Because he just follows it blindly like a computer game and he does not scan or questions the FDs commands. But I need 45 minutes of hard training to make most captains to be able to fly a raw data ILS within limits. And most airlines don't seem to understand it, the same way you don't understand it.
From your remarks about, if my company allows me to switch off flight directors I deduced, that you are not allowed to switch off flight directors. If you did it, you would have a nasty surprise, how badly your skill deteriorated. I fly often without FDs to keep my skill. May be I am less talented, but I need it to do it once a week to keep my skill sharp. For those who are not pilots, Flight Directors make out of flying, unlike raw data no FDs flying, a simplified computer game, where the pilot just keeps a dot in a cross or similar design. And many pilots loose the ability to scan instruments. It is amazing, how fast the brain becomes a jelly, if you allow it to. I think that those who do not practise, play a russian rulette with he passengers. Because this skill does not come back under fatigue and stress. And your airline is playing russian rulette with passengers by not allowing yiu flying without FDs. Because that is the only way to get your scan back. At least do it in a nice sunny afternoon, with light winds.