framer
The B777 is designed for the auto throttle to be engaged from the very start of the flight until the very end. It stays engaged for the landing. It's the way the manufacturer intended.
As for all this nonsense about flying a Cessna around, give me a break. Perhaps the Captain of the QM2 should take his sail boat out on a Sunday afternoon jolly around the lake?
I fully endorse the idea that Pilots should be encouraged to hand fly THE aircraft they operate within the right conditions, such as good weather, quiet ATC and not after a long duty day. Gaining manual flying experience in single engine machinery is not, in my opinion, the way forward. It's chalk and cheese. If airlines want pilots to gain confidence and practice a few hours of steep turns and visual circuits, give them manual handling sims. Whether we like it or not, the advancement of highly automated machinery does actually bring added safety to flight operations. However, pilots need to be taught to use this automation effectively and correctly and to AVOID getting themselves in these dangerous situations in the first place. The problem the industry faces is teaching resilience to a new generation of pilots taught on highly reliable aircraft. Increasingly, more and more pilots are experiencing, and expecting the system to work as advertised and when it doesn't, the 'startle' factor can be immense. AF447 highlighted that. If you look at the accident rate today compared to even 30 years ago we see that aviation safety has improved dramatically. However, the type and causes of these accidents has changed. Sticking a 27 year old A320 F/O in a Cessna a few hours a year will not address those threats. In fact, the chances of them killing themselves in the single engine prop would be even greater!
All airlines need to teach students on any new type conversion that no matter what aircraft you fly, the basic rules of flying apply. ANC. Aircraft stay in the air courtesy of Bernoulli, not Marconi! Learning by rote is not always good, neither is acknowledging an ATC instruction at such a critical stage of flight.
Harry