@ slasher

:} sorry if you felt attacked or something! That was not my intention

Only there are so many pilots, 320 ones! who tell me this thing about the bus being a CWS plane that is not worth handflying because, they say, we don't actually fly it, computers do fly it, etc... All that nonsense, you know.

thats why I went into some detail :8 to try to explain why handflying an airbus is hand flying.

cheers

No of course not. And I do not recall saying that either. But if needed, a competent airline pilot should be able to hand fly under those conditions without raising a sweat. But, as the venerable D.P Davies said in that fine book "Handling the Big Jets". Quote:

"Finally do not become lazy in your professional lives. The autopilot is a great comfort, so are the flight director and the approach coupler. But do not get into a position where you need these devices to complete the flight. Keep in practice in raw ILS particularly in crosswinds. Keep in practice in hand-flying the aeroplane at altitude and in making purely visual approaches."

Captain Davies wrote that over 44 years ago when Boeing 707's were in vogue. His advice was considered priceless then and is priceless now to this day.

About that book if you have not read it before, note the review by IFALPA which among other things said "......can truly be described as the best of its kind in the world.....we can recall no book which bears so directly on the pilots problem as does Handling the Big Jets....Written by a test pilot for airline pilots the book is likely to become a standard textbook.. I would strongly recommend the book to all airline pilots who fly jets, or who will be flying jets in the future" Unquote

Now which type of pilot do you think your passengers want at the controls of their jet. A pilot who is able to accomplish an ILS, if the A/P were U/S, down to minimums with a 30 knot crosswind to an airport with no other alternative available? Or a button pushing Microsoft Simulator button pilot whose only along for the ride enjoying their crew meal and reading a newspaper?

Feel free to chime in.

The airline I work for encourages our pilots to fly without the automatics, and I try to fly manually as much as I can.

Certain guys you fly with are more comfortable with it than others. You must appreciate that there is also a time and a place for it. Going into an busy airport, you are both not familiar with, in bad weather it is probably not a great idea, as it increases the work load for both pilots, and as the capacity reduces for both pilots, mistakes creep in. However, going into your base airport, with reasonable weather, where both of you are familiar and know what to expect, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Enjoy it when you get there!

Hi CAT3C AUTOLAND,

My previous employer also encouraged practising manual flying skills without the FD - but keeping the PNFs FD on and appropriate modes selected - so the AP could be re-engaged at any moment with everything already "plugged in".

Not so now on the AB, where it is not permitted to have just one FD on - due to a series of previous errors caused by autothrust confusion.

dont dream flying manual in Asia, once u announce u r flying manually even just following fd with AT, the Left guy will cringe. even on visual approach they use AP.

Worse when i flew 777 when its a norm to put AP at 200 ft and dissengage it at minimums call for landing. Again, they cringe if u disengage earlier.