eklawyer;

Most of the F/O's I flew with were afraid to disconnect the autothrust. I offered, (when traffic and workload permitted) but very few takers. After a few incidents when the autoflight should have been used, (bad weather, high workload, tired crew), the managers tightened up and made it mandatory that the autoflight remain engaged under all circumstances. Company policy permits manual flight (including a/t's) when workload is low but in practise it rarely happens and is not taught or practised in the simulator or on line checks. I frankly don't know anyone now, who is comfortable disconnecting the autoflight system to fly an airplane. I know for certain that there have been a number of "close ones" precisely because of this lack of competency and understanding.

I think professional pilot associations have handed over the keys to management instead of protecting their professional responsibilities and licenses but clearly I am old and out of touch. No one was listening in 1992 when we introduced the 320 and were instead intoxicated with automatic flight, and no one is listening today.

We give ab initio OTS "pilots" a year of simulator and put them in the right seat and expect them to be of some use to the captain who may as well be doing single-pilot IFR. Imagine an MPL in the circumstances that we have recently seen over the last two years. While we were all "new" on an airplane, there was such a thing as an apprenticeship in the military or more commonly, the bush where real aviation was learned with the help of adrenaline and luck.

And, as I posted here a long time ago, (and was dismissed outright), and as Sully just said before Congress, those with the talent, intelligence, drive, discipline and desire to fly commercially are taking a look at what has happened to the airline piloting profession and going elsewhere so they can make a living wage, and have a slightly better chance at a future and those that do come will be second tier, perhaps with aviation stars in their eyes. By the time the accident rate begins to climb again, all we'll hear is the kind of nonsense we're now hearing about the Turkish accident...it was the altimeter's fault. Bullshxt.

In order to lower costs, this industry is putting an entire generation in it's cockpits who will be unable to fly an airplane or think. Wait'll they get into the left seat and the cranky old crocks that keep us alive and not kicking tin are retired.

What cost savings?

Io sarei per volare sempre a mano, quando possibile... Dai obiettivamente, domare una bestiaccia nel cielo con le proprie mani è un privilegio da pochi Io non lascerei questo divertimento al computer!!!