[QUOTE=SkyHigh;1212098]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.

Man and all this time I thought I was the one who decided if it was truly safe to deviate left or right through a squall line. Then get to the airport and decide if it was safe to land before or after X minutes of a windshear advisory, breaking action etc. Pretty sure I routinely hand fly to FL290 and hand fly approaches. I also have to hand fly landings the autopilot is not capable of doing! When it all goes to hell we "PILOTS" are the ones who have to bring the aircraft home safe.

Every modern airliner is now computer controlled to some extent and the 777 is fly by wire. All I know of can be overridden by the pilot if needed. All that pilot proof stuff really worked out for AF447. The seasoned Captain after returning to the cockpit ascertained the problem and probably could have saved the aircraft had he been in the cockpit when the malfunction started.

You are right about one thing you are not a Airbus pilot nor a airline pilot.

Skyhigh[/QUO