I don't think you can crucify someone for not being a freight dog in their past. Everyone has different levels of experience, and we all have different levels of comfort. This CA made a decision. None of us were there, and we should ALL back the guy up. Those of you who are saying "Oh he's just a low time 200 hour wonder who never hand flies" are no better than the chief pilot who suspended him.

I was fairly low time when I went to Mesa, and hand flew ALL the time. Most of my approaches were hand flown, and I had no problem flying without an autopilot, FMS or flight director. Longest flight for me was AUS-IAD with no A/P and a deferred FMS. It was supposed to be the captains leg, but I volunteered to fly it for him.

The point is, we weren't there, and we've all made decisions that could have been monday morning quarterbacked the next day. Just the thought that some people are jumping on this guys back really frustrates me. He's the captain of a 121 airliner, and his decision should be respected and listened to. None of us have any business to say anything except to say good job to him for standing up to the company and holding his own for something he wasn't comfortable with. That's all that matters.