Originally Posted by
standbykid
This may be relevant and mods feel free to remove if not.
Read an interview with a Rouge pilot (it's online somewhere) where he's basically saying "we turn on the auto pilot a few seconds into the climb and these things basically land themselves anyway."
Sounded quite smug and blase in the interview.
Hand flying on type really is a forgotten or unlearned art by some.
I fly at the formentioned company.. a handful of guys let otto do most of the work.. the majority of guys and gals I fly with fly a good portion of the departure (albeit following the FDs) and depending on the approach/weather take over at some point prior to "just before touch down". I probably hand fly more than most and somewhere around 30-50% of mine are AP A/THR off prior to intersepting final.
Rouge at one time had many brand new airbus drivers and it's easy to see how someone can get mixed up in different modes. It is quiet evident that happened with the speed changes/open climb etc.. The question is when it all went to $hit why they didn't disconnect all the magic sooner and look out the window or simply go around and let themselves catch back up to the airplane.. I personally have not seen this level of flying on display and so it's hard for me to say where the problem originates from. I or others I fly with would have no problem disconnecting and flying it like a cessna or trying again. Wonder why that didn't happen here?