So many of you are overlooking one very important element...the passengers. I can bang around in the slop all day hand flying and maintain all the precision required to keep my licenses. But, I know that at some point all the minor corrections will leave the passengers with a bad impression of my airline and my skill. The autopilot can generally fly smoother for longer. Passengers expect it. This captain was certainly justified in pressuring the company to find a more suitable aircraft for this longer flight. I have handflown jets and props many times. I will gladly fly them on a short leg, during times when I know my attention can be devoted to straight and level flying. I have also refused to hand fly. Passengers dont need to be tweaked for an entire three hour flight. We run a business to please passengers.