Automation can be your friend if one knows how to use it. It provides an extra layer of protection ( aka..not getting violated or breaking FARs) to control the airspeed / aircraft. Some pilots struggle with basic aircraft control with or without automation.

And it also makes some pilots have a hard time transitioning to another piece of equipment without it installed.

That’s my point.

If your point is that a makes you somewhat lazy, I will buy that, and I will also buy that skills diminish a bit. However, EVERY airliner and nearly every “newer” corporate jet has AT. There is something to be said for the trend. During my time at Brown I’ve had the AT MEL’d once, and the Captain was so worried about the lack of automation that he wanted to be the PF. I explained to him that I had been flying w/o AT for the vast majority of my 15+ years at NJ, he wanted nothing of it. Guess what happened after first leg? “You fly dude” 😂😂. A 25 year UPS Captain flying without AT is not a pretty sight. But that is the current trend.

Autothrottles make for sloppy pilots.

What an embarrassing gang. Like a bunch of school yard girls. You guys should be so proud.

Sure. And do away with autopilots, too, while you're at it. And what about flight directors? Real pilots don't need those either, right?

Fly with a pilot who has been flying a plane with auto throttle exclusively for the last several years. Raw airmanship skills of that pilot are rough at best. The key is turning OFF the automation (even autopilot) every now and then to maintain skills actually flying the plane you’re on.

This has been covered many times in several periodicals through the years.

Automation is a good resource, not replacement.

When I was at Connie on the 400 we would turn off the magic and hand fly , periodically, that airframe was a joy anyway , and it paid dividends

When I was at Connie on the 400 we would turn off the magic and hand fly , periodically, that airframe was a joy anyway , and it paid dividends

Sorry about the double post