Your hands are on the controls but it is the director of flight operations and Airbus who are the ones who are actually flying the plane. As airline pilots our decisions and reactions are pre-planned by engineers and managers. Our job is to be able to regurgitate their instructions at the appointed time and situation.

Besides that I an not an Airbus pilot but from what I know the pilot tells the plane what he/she wants it to do and the plane decides if and how it will accomplish that, so who really is flying the plane? It seems to me that at best the pilot of an Airbus is directing the flight computer and the flight computer flies the plane.

Ergo The pride of Airbus "Our planes are pilot proof". Please Airbus guys don't be shy and correct me if I am wrong.

Skyhigh