Originally Posted by
JamesNoBrakes
The whole "stick and rudder skillz" is kind of a cop out and at best blown way out of proportion by pilots who think they are god's gift to aviation and everything in the sky...birds too.
What does it mean, they are able to feel just the right amount of rudder needed by not looking at anything, ever? They are able to perform precise lazy 8s in a 757? Maybe they have to be aerobatic pilots? Or maybe even aerobatic pilots don't always have good "stick and rudder"? The relationship of the controls and pilot's ability to interact with these is always important, but even in some of the supposedly best "stick and rudder skillz" pilots I've still found some pretty large perceptional disconnects. The best ones probably were the ones that knew there limitations and didn't exceed them, worked to get better, even if they weren't the best "stick and rudder" pilots.
I don't think it's about flying like Maverick or Iceman, or even thinking you can. The simple matter of truth is that a lot of pilots get very complacent due to the use of automation. I know personally of a lot of people that are at a point in their career where they are so dependent on automation they are no longer able to fly a visual approach without feeling an uncomfortable amount of pressure. Never-mind flying a full out STAR.
A good point was brought up earlier, about being proficient in both hand flying, and programming and monitoring automation. A lot of the former seems to be missing in this industry as career progression happens due in not really any part to a pilot's competence. It happens as a result of industry trends that are pushing for increased fuel savings and efficiency ($$$$). Also minimal amounts of training, as previously mentioned.
I have never used A/P in my life (save once for a very short period of time) because the company I fly for does not put them in our planes. I'm by no means the best hand flyer out there, but I am at least competent enough that I know I can do it to any airport, familiar or unfamiliar, and in some very challenging conditions too.
That being said, if you stuck me in a 737, or even put some kind of A/P (even a very basic 3-axis + nav version) and asked me to fly it from point A-point B, I imagine I would get a bit flustered with the A/P and just try to hand fly the darn thing instead. Is this a good thing? Maybe not, but we'll see what happens when I actually get to try it one day...