Originally Posted by
harry the cod
....
There is, in my opinion, an over reliance on automation and this manifests itself in the final stages of approach. I have seen, on numerous occasions, colleagues leave the autopilot in as late as possible, sometimes as low as 200' on cavok but windy days. The result of this, often, is a last minute fumble and over control as they have to deal with the last few feet and a flare. This effect is compounded by the design features of the B777 automatic flight control system which alters the flying characteristics at 500' and 200'. To mitigate this, why not disengage earlier to get 'tracking' time of the aircraft and get a feel for actually flying it? There is absolutely nothing stopping you re-engaging an autopilot throughout the approach or even after the initial G/A manoeuvre being completed......correctly.
It is my strong belief that because we encourage maximum use of automation, regardless of conditions, that we're creating a future generation of pilots either too scared or reluctant to do what they're trained to do. The less they hand fly, the less they feel able. Confidence is a remarkable trait and can only be gained by exposure to flying the plane, not pushing buttons and watching. In gusty and hot and high thermal conditions, I would strongly encourage an early disconnect, not the late one you recommend. Poor visibility, however, is another issue altogether.
That's nothing new. The discussion started already years ago. It looks like the FAA now admits that there is a problem.
https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/defaul...t%5E1-7-16.pdf