If the airlines would ever listen to this suggestion....
In the ideal world of flight safety, each airline should own a small number of some type of low operating cost multi-engine aircraft with conventional flight controls. Pilots (especially those flying fully automatic systems, but really all the pilots) should be required to fly them periodically. The course work should include hand flying to altitude, hand flown approaches to ILS-VOR-NDB, hand flown engine out procedures, etc. I even think a small number of aerobatic planes should be on hand (2 seaters, pilot and check pilot) so aerobatics can be practiced for unusual attitude recovery skills. I even think low-g aerobatics should be practiced, like stall, spin, and dive recoveries that keep the G-meter below 2.5g.
Of course I don't know of any airlines that do this...
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Safe flying to you...
[This message has been edited by Flight Safety (edited 13 January 2001).]