Pilots Losing Basic Flying Skills
 

I don't think it is the systems as such, that are detracting from developing and maintaining hands-on piloting skills, as much as the company managers and flight operations inspectors of the regulators. It also doesn't help when the legal fraternity are ready to swoop if there is a buck in it.
Finally, throw in the culture question where some operators have a punishment ethos to the slightest perceived infringement of a company SOP, then is it any wonder pilots steer clear of trying to keep up their handling skills and stick to the automatics from lift-off to touchdown.

'judd' that about sums it up perfectly! The so called feel good "Just Culture" the Airlines love to feel comfy about is just a smoke screen to screw the pilots!
I try to encourage my F/O's to hand fly in low workload conditions but am forever aware that it's my license on the line when they do! Anytime when any F/O is hand flying the skipper has to be even more alert & his/her workload can be much higher, hence hand flying isn't that common I reckon.

... and, yet, 30 years and more ago, on the jets of the time, folks of such persuasion would hand fly the entire leg without letting the J-B stuff get a look-in. Anything under about 90 minutes sector time would be hand flown for this chap. If the meal were a good one, perhaps the autopilot might get a few minutes for the meal break.

No-one ever seemed to complain or be too concerned about the workload. Then again, the AN/TN philosophy of the day was to overtrain the flight crews so, perhaps, that may have had an influence on the level of relaxation with workload ? I recall one captain's comment on the subject of captain's observation capabilities - "I'm not allowed to make mistakes" and that pretty well summed up the AN attitude. Everyone set out to do a high bar routine each and every flight.

When the 733 came in at AN, the then Flight Captain (or was it Fleet Captain ? - too long ago, now) - TW - took the view that pilots could emphasise hand flying or the autos during line flight - providing that they maintained competence in both and could use either appropriately and adequately on checks.

It is one thing to lose your flying skills through automation, but my concern is that when pilots start their airline careers these days do they have the basic skills. Historically an considerable number of pilots would have 1500 hrs gained through the military, instructing, air taxi work. etc.. We now have co pilots in airlines who are not even qualified to fly a Cessna 152 and not encouraged to learn to fly aerobatics or steep turns in their basic training.

But alas the modern flying contraption is no longer what it used to be.
Gone are the cables and connecting rods mated directly to a control surface and replaced with a stick that sends an electronic request to a computer which needs to be convinced to move a control surface or two.
Just like a modern car with its computers for traction, stability, emergency stopping, lane changing, parking, etc, these cars are brainless to drive with the intention of taking the driver out of the control equation completely.
A computer brings more efficiencies, especially so when a certain critical mass is reached and levels of optimisation beyond human capability become possible.

Reminds me of a story recently relayed to me about a HR system wrongfully terminating an employee. It was much easier for the company to have the employee terminated and re-employed than stop the HR software doing its thing.

I learnt something similar on a Chieftain at age 15 watching someone more experienced than I start it up.

Two high time aviators in the sim with round gauges. One needle doesn't move and the instructor asks "What's the problem?". Two crew scratch their heads reviewing systems, possible failure paths etc and unable to come up with an answer. "What would you do on the line?" instructor asks. Still no answer. "Tap the dial, it's a stuck needle" says he. A lesson in not over thinking.

quote] To a degree it’s up the individual [/quote]
Too true. I was cruising in a 737 Classic at 31,000 ft somewhere Germany and Greece. It was a beautiful day and I decided to practice tracking the VOR on flight plan route instead of VNAV and LNAV. Told the young 250 hour German first officer that was I disconnecting the autothrottle, autopilot and flight director and keep my hand in tracking the VOR's.
He looked at me completely disbelievingly and announced "In that case I will don my shoulder harness." Words failed me.

Judd,
Does not surprise me in the least.
Some time ago, old mate (AU) working for a subsidiary of Lufthansa, not only did as above, but, horror of horrors, flew a dreaded "Visual Approach", on a gin clear day down in the Med.
Result, dobbed in by the F/O, and "tea and biccies" with the fleet manager ---- and the very clear message that such free wheeling "Australian" behavior would not be tolterrated.
This from the airline that (long time ago) went off the end of 07 in YSSY, doing a couple approach and autoland in a DC-10 ---- and it was an inaugural, the publicity on the evening news was extensive, but not quite what Lufthansa had hoped for.
Tootle pip!!

Too true. I was cruising in a 737 Classic at 31,000 ft somewhere Germany and Greece. It was a beautiful day and I decided to practice tracking the VOR on flight plan route instead of VNAV and LNAV. Told the young 250 hour German first officer that was I disconnecting the autothrottle, autopilot and flight director and keep my hand in tracking the VOR's.
He looked at me completely disbelievingly and announced "In that case I will don my shoulder harness." Words failed me.[/QUOTE]

Not surprising, bet there are a lot of stories like that! Some years ago as an F/O on the 'bus' I wanted to do a full App flying manually in clear skies, turned it all off, the Capt sat bolt upright, looked absolutely mortified....I loved it watching the idiot squirm in his seat:-)

I was waiting to take off at Kai Tak when an airline pilot about to fly the IGS approach to R13 suddenly announced "I'm not declaring an emergency just yet, but we cannot get the autopilot to couple". He sounded very scared that he might have to fly the approach himself, rather than the autopilot doing it.

That was a few years ago, but I thought it was a one off. These days - possibly not!

I'd love to know which A/C can fly the IGS in HKG with an A/P.!!!!!!!

Crikey, there's some impressive willies being waved about 'round 'ere!