Agree, hardly anything is ALWAYS the best solution. But in this highly controlled environment it surprises me, we are not controlled or even guided in this case. It could save you the day you have forgotten your brain at home and things are marginal. Same reason why we always use checklists, although we know them by heart. My experience is that 90 pct of crews just punch in the figures blindly. A set of rules is in my opinion a good thing to have, as long as you know you can deviate from them, if it's in the interest of safety. We can and sometimes must deviate, so I don't see the problem. Nothing bothers me more than cowboys in the cockpit.
Originally Posted by
RAT 5
Makes it easier for everyone with a set of rules, except just the opinion of the individual in the left seat.
Not sure that is always the best solution. There are the more enlightened airlines who trust their crews and would prefer the LHS chappie on the spot to use experience, judgement and discretion to do what is best for the situation. It would be sad day when the whole operation is conducted in a straight-jacket of rigid rules.