Originally Posted by
PiperPower
Who cares. Fly it when you want to, don't fly it when you don't.
If your skills degrade so quickly where hand flying a constant speed climb for 15 minutes straight is "keeping you sharp," then yeah you should keep doing that.
Personally, I handfly when I'm bored. Some trips I'm more bored than others.
Can't hand-fly an RNAV SID. Can't accept an RNAV SID/STAR with an AP inop. There is no pilot preference--it's clearly stated in the GOM and recommended by the FAA SAFO referenced therein.