Derfred,
Very good post IMHO, I agree with pretty much everything you say and rather than pick it apart, hopefully I'm going to add to it.
The key as you note is the "shared" mental model, and in the instance of unreliable airspeed on the 777 this is most definitely a key to solving the problem.
The exact way its done is infinitely variable according to the crew, the circumstances et al, but ultimately its the key to both regaining SA.
Just as a note with respect to Birgenair 301, a 757 no less, if the Captain had a safe pitch and power setting in his bag of tricks (funnily enough on the 75 its 2.5 degrees and an N1 of 75% for level flight or 7.5 degrees and about 85% for a climb )...never trust the EPR setting if you don't trust the ASI on a RR powered 75.
They would have flown away fat dumb and happy and he would have had time to get over his confusion and recognise the issue...assuming of course he understood the AP logic and disconnected it as part of the memory items
