Australoptcus, to compare a J3 to a Buss is pushing the discussion a bit far, this type of flawed logic was of course used by GBS for years to advance his views on society, but doesn't fit here methinks, Now, how is starting a bus complex? if my memory is not totally shot I seem to remember it went like this, Select Start, sit and watch, if the Fadec doesn't like what it sees it will try twice more {maybe three times?} until it does get going, if not into the QRH {which you are correct, is first written in German, the translated to French, then into a form of English known as "Airbus Babble Speak"} There is no "milking " various H/P cocks or playing with fuel feed so the bloody thing doesn't melt itself like a DH Goblin or other such oldies. As for flight control laws, what is so complex about them? its sure as hell much simpler than a CF100 or a DC8 with boost failure when one has to rely on electric trim, {but don't use too much or it to will fail} this along with high speed handling describes by one of the great test pilots as "malicious" along with NO weather limits when on a "hot scramble", a 37,500lb aircraft still being developed whilst in service, a kid with about 400 hours driving the bloody thing assisted by another kid in the back seat trying not let you collide with the target simply doesn't compare in any way to the simplicity of todays radar coverage, simplicity of nav aids, and the incredible reliability of modern aircraft, {on my retirement from the "heavy metal", I went into the maint data base, both engines had been on the wing for 17,000 hours without any snags!} compare this with one engine I flew way back when with a mean average failure rate of one every 500 hours roughly! Now, enough of the "hero Stories", its obvious that many of the kids on the way up today believe that they are flying in more difficult conditions than my generation ever did, however Im still flying {chief pilot for a corporate flight department} and would dispute this, so lets just agree to disagree and leave it at that.

And right now I'm flying a 9000lb aircraft into 400m grass strips on the sides of mountains at 9000ft with slopes between 10 to 25%, where every knot is critical and there is no chance of a go around.
But hey, all us young kids are useless and don't know how to control aircraft.

You're purposely missing the point that I was trying to make in regards to complex aircraft and again comparing apples to oranges. But if you need to do that to prove a point and "win" the argument. Then by all means, go for it. You've impressed noone other than yourself.

Wrong suspect, Clunkdriver. I did not mention the J3. And yeah, the DC-8 was a handful boost off. Most planes are less than delightful with degraded controls.

But anyway: OK, let's disagree.

Lifeboy, for Petes sake, that's NOT what Im saying, but I am saying that the "Puppy Farm" instructors and most of the government schools are turning out grads who simply think that flying is so much more complicated now than a few years ago, as one who is still flying and whose experience covers from piston to the early jets to glass, FMS, fly by wire, alternate control to normal law, crop dusting and fire bombing, military and very early Bus pilot, what I am saying is this just isn't the case. Tell me now, it sounds like you are doing some "real flying" requiring lots of basic skills, tell me honestly, would you sit in the back when one of these newly minted grads with his four gold bars and a piece of paper from one of these outfits tries to get into one of the strips you fly from? somehow I doubt it, unless you are much braver than me or not interested in old age! I actually think we are on the same page, but you just don't want to face the fact that others have equal or greater skills simply by dint of experience and still being on the green side of the grass instead of looking up at the brown side , as so many are doing. If you honestly think that Coglan, Air France , Asiana , and most of the hull loses of late are to be blamed on anything but totally untrained and inexperienced pilots then I would suggest that this is not the case, so lets to agree to disagree { PS, hope your brakes hold when needed after the turnaround on the 25 degree slope!}

Austraralopteus, sorry 'bout that, Finger trouble whilst jet lagged is my excuse till I dream up a better one than "stupid!' Regards, Clunck.

If we look at rotary wing aircraft and compare the difficulty level with regard to manual handling the bigger they are the easier they are to fly, at least that was what I found over the decades.

For instance flying a S61 or a MI 8 is far less difficult to fly than a R22 when it comes to control input.

The S61 and the MI 8 are in the same category and fly very much the same, however the MI 8 is built like all Russian aircraft...like a tank.

So...the bigger they are the easier they are to fly. :)