I respectfully disagree with you, although I do see where you are coming from.

The MD-11 is a modern jet, but a landing with an 18 knot crosswind is not possible with the autopilot engaged. Skill better be up to par because you will be hand flying it.

I will agree that the magic built into modern airplanes has made a lot of things easier to manage. But I have also noticed that it has made many of the easy things more difficult for some people, such as hand flying and thinking when the magic goes tango-uniform unexpectedly.