Originally Posted by
BoilerUP
You know what I miss most from my 121 regional airline days?
Turning all the damn automation off and hand-flying the River Visual 19 @ DCA.
Sometimes, a guy/gal just needs to be a pilot...period.
That was my last approach flying the DC9 before coming back to the A320.
Of course the 9-osaur doesn't have any automation, so I didn't have to click it off. I loved flying that airplane. It is one of the last true stick and rudder airliners. A 2 axis autopilot with no auto level off, no autothrust, no VNAV, no RNAV, no autobrakes, no FADECs, and the only glass on it was the glass covering the steam guages.
It was extremely valuable for me to be able to fly the DC9. Helped keep my skills tuned, as their really isn't any automation to rely on.