Originally Posted by
Phantom Flyer
Yes, it must be operative to enter RVSM airspace but "operative" and "engaged" are two different things.
That's the verbiage used in our FOM as well. One of our "special" captains uses this as an excuse to hand fly in cruise. (He also, on the FOs' legs, likes to point out something outside and then disco the autopilot and silence the aural before it sounds, just to "prove a point" about cockpit vigilance. No, I am not making this up.)