When you push the disconnect button on the Airbus you are not disconnecting the autopilot. You are changing the inputs the autopilot receives to fly the aircraft to the side stick from the FCU or MCDU. The rest of the aviation world calls this control stick steering or CSS. You are correct Airbus does not use this term but a duck is still a duck even if you call it a chicken.

Sailvi, are you rated on any Airbus FBW airplane ?

Current and flying the A330.

I see. Anyway when you disconnect the autopilot you do hand fly the airplane with the different flight control laws according to the STS of the airplane and/or to the flight phase that you are in. When the A/P is off, it is OFF.

There. With all the best regards for you, :D
FD.

I think it is semantics. Sailvi767 has a valid point. I have to accept that I never thought of it this way but it makes sense. Some OEM may call it CSS, other CWS ( Control Wheel Steering ), etc. Something similar to ECAM and EICAS or TCAS and T2CAS. Even Winglets, Sharklets, Win Tip Fence, etc.

I respectfully disagree. The reason the airplane "stays where you put it" whilst hand flying is due to the load factor demand in pitch and roll rate demand in roll (considering only normal law here). There are numbers of thread where some extremely knowledgeable contributors have provided highly detailed informations on the FBW logics.

Sailvi767 - It's a while since I flew the A330, but take a look at your FCOM schematics. With the AP engaged, the FG part of the FMGEC provides autopilot commands to the FCPCs (PRIMs). With the autopilot disengaged the sidestick provides those commands to the PRIMs. Regardless, when the AP is off, it is most definitely off. Are you confusing the AP with the PRIMs?

Citation2 - I am not trying to invent nonexistent limitations, rather I am trying to clarify what is poorly explained in the FCOM Limitations and much better explained in the AFM. Your previous post uses "CAT 1" and "CAT 2" a lot which worries me. These terms are FMGC capabilities, not minima or types of approach. Did you mean CAT I / CAT II? You do understand the difference? Minima is irrelevant when dealing with AUTO PILOT FUNCTION limitations. (It is relevant for Autoland though). Basically in this context, an ILS approach is an ILS approach is an....

I'll simplify the original question even more: you are flying an ILS approach and intend to manually land. What is the lowest height I can keep the AP engaged if the FMGC capability of "CAT2" or CAT3" IS displayed on the FMA? Clue: the answer is 160 ft AGL if "CAT2" or CAT3" is NOT displayed on the FMA...