Manual Flying Skills in the Middle- and Far-East
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Wherever I go, there I am
Age: 43
Posts: 806
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Would I want a pilot to be proving to himself how good he is manually flying, not while my family (or yours) are on board. Simulators are the best devices to safely practice manual flying. However, IF the weather IS CAVOK and you are not on (or worried about busting) an RNAV SID, then by all means make good use of those RayBan shades and get some hands on time.
The safest approach is from 10 miles on the instruments as speed gates etc need to be met (safest strategy). I am not pushing loosing piloting skills, I am pushing safety through safest automation AND correct use of skills being used at the appropriate time.
The safest approach is from 10 miles on the instruments as speed gates etc need to be met (safest strategy). I am not pushing loosing piloting skills, I am pushing safety through safest automation AND correct use of skills being used at the appropriate time.
First, pilots have to fly in all manner of weather. The three times an autopilot has crapped out on me, I was night IMC flying through crap weather - not during something so simple as an RNAV SID when it was CAVOK. That's the type of thinking that has got this industry into this mess to begin with. If you're honestly nervous about flying any type of procedure, then that indicates you need more hand time.
Second, simulators are not the best method for hand flying experience. They're "ok" at best. There are things the simulator simply cannot reproduce that you have to contend with when hand flying. Frankly, I want my family to know the guys and gals up front can still fly - and button pushing is not hand flying. Neither is autopilot off, autothrottle on.
Finally, 10 miles final being the "safest." Give me a break. You could have a 50 mile final and blow it all in the last 10 feet. Any pilot should be able to hand fly any short final that the airplane is capable of to a safe landing...besides, a lot of the new "super safe" RNP approaches don't have anywhere near a 10 mile final, so please explain that logic.
and there may be some cultural issues but I suspect they would be isolated incidents.
