Definitely a good idea to try, but I believe the law does not require that they respond to the employee unless you you have initiated a PRIA request at another employer. So you might not get anything back.

When you are hand flying the PM is setting up your FD as that is his job, your job is to call for what you want set into the FD. If you were told otherwise that would account for some of the trouble. Until the FD is set for you, look through it and fly the aircraft.

Good luck in your next class, and don't dwell on your prior training...it sounds like you might have had some poor instruction.

Well then that would have led to a lot of my problem. We were paired new hire with new hire, neither of us had prior 121 experience. Like I said, I was was told by an instructor that as pilot flying we've got to do as much as possible to make things easier for the pilot monitoring. Regardless, I still feel I should be able to effortlessly handfly and set up a flight director at the same time. So, I still gotta work to make that happen for myself.

I just want to make sure you're listening, for your own good.
Your job as pilot hand-flying is to call for flight director settings.
The job of the pilot not hand-flying is to set up your flight director as you command. If you want to run your own FD, then you should engage the autopilot.

I'm fairly certain this is standard for part 121 2-man crews. :)

If you have any doubts, then ask in the forums of your target airlines.

If I was instructing you in the sim, I would tell you to work the PM until he was breathless, and I would tell him he had better keep up!

Again, best wishes for your next training program.

If you are hand flying the aircraft then the non flying pilot sets the FD period. Once you are on the actual approach the non fly really doesn't have that much to do. Most of his duties are setting up the approach and setting your flight director.

LabDad has it right, setting up the FGC, when hand flying is the job of the PM, period. Having you, as the PF, do it when new to the plane and operation was a set up for failure. I tried it on CL604 course and was brought up short--"it's the PM's job, call for the selections until A/P engaged.

I'm curious as to which airline is teaching this non-standard, non-factory way of doing business?

Good Luck, GF

Looks like Piedmont