Originally Posted by ATCsaidDoWhat

Quote:





Originally Posted by Whaledriver


I have to respectfully disagree on this one. Hand flying up to cruise proves/provides nothing, as long as you have the FD up and running. In the departure environment, while you're playing pilot, the PM (pilot monitoring) is managing the radios, CDU, MCP and keeping more than an eye on the hand flying going on. Just my opinion.

On the classic, more than a few times, I saw guys aviating to cruise and get so slow we had to descend to get on speed. Mind you, we were hanging on the props, even if on speed, but get behind, even by a few knots and you'd never accelerate.




With respect to DC8's post...this is a relevant discussion here as it relates to what is considered in an applicants background.

The ability to hand fly without relying on magic goes directly to the heart of the issue. At the end of the day, you can train anyone to punch buttons and turn knobs. You can't teach them flying skills if they don't have a solid foundation in fundamentals.

Your point about guys who aviate to cruise and have to step the plane to get on speed goes to the heart of the matter. A pilot who doesn't see that in his climb and adjust to keep his speed in the climb is one who will not notice an autopilot that may be out of trim as fast as someone who has a good feel of the plane in all regimes. Consider the American Eagle ATR and the Continental Express Dash 8. Look at Air France. Over reliance on magic and lack of attention, coupled with poor inputs when the A/P became overtaxed, kicked itself off and said, "you fix it," is a fundamental problem in todays environment and one of the reasons the FAA is looking to see changes on training.

And in that regard, a person with limited EFIS time and more steam and stick time in the end, is likely a better qualified person in terms of experience than someone who has spent their career turning the A/P on at 500', mashing buttons and sailing along spending little time actually manipulating the controls.

It's like an old WWII and Korean war fighter pilot who flew with Yeager told me as a kid, "if you're not in the clouds, it's not IFR. If it's VFR at altitude, it's VFR on top, not actual IFR. Don't get lazy and count it or it will bite you in the can when you least want it to."

That said...good luck Strut!