Originally Posted by
GunshipGuy
I agree with most of that. I was just answering the question about when full automation was pushed, and my experience was though out my sim training and on my OE.
As for the increase on the PM, well, maybe it's different on the bus, but when I've had the pilot flying do that on the 88 and I have to do checklists, change his heading bug, slow his airspeed, make the radio call, configure the acft, back him up on level offs, update the box for the jerry rigged VNAV, make sure we clear out that last altitude with the descend direct, etc., well, it kept me busy at times 20 miles out from ATL where I would have liked to have more scan time and less heads down time. Maybe another 3000 hours and I'll have a better handle on things.
Sim training by nature is going to be more automated due to what you're dealing with in those action packed sessions. I've had sim training and OE on the MD-88, 757/767, 737, and A320 at DL. All the OE pilots encouraged hand flying.
The 88 is definitely the busiest cockpit, so your aversion is definitely understandable there! The hand flying that early as you described there on approach is definitely more of a burden as there is a lot going on- on climb out and once established on approach.... no biggie, even on the angry dawg.
That being said, when flying a visual approach, instead of managing all that crap, turning off the AP, FD, and AT is the least workload possible for the PM while the most rewarding for the PF no matter the fleet.
It's by far my favorite when made available.