There are some beautiful beta pics posted on the Avsim showing the upcoming PMDG DC-6. She is certainly looking to be a fantastic stablemate for the Connie. The poster was lauding the visceral experience of flying a very 'manual' beast like 'six'. The same kind of experience we A2A flyers get when we fly a T-6, P-40, or Connie or whatever. I agree with them, that mastering an old beast like a T-6 is a very rewarding and satisfying experience.
Anyway, it got me to thinking. I know much of the twin training world, including my Alma Mater, has switched to the DA-42. Now I think Diamond Aircraft is an excellent and very innovative aircraft manufacturer with a excellent lineup of airplanes. The DA-42 to is a fantastic airplane with cutting edge safety features, and no surprise, it has an excellent safety record. I would certainly buy the newest -VI version with all the wiz bang saftety and automatic bells n whistles in a heartbeat, especially if I want to haul loved ones around in IMC. In some ways the DA-42 is like the P-51, in that it's automation allows for more of hands on stick n throttle time, which is great.
However as a trainer, I thank my lucky stars that I did my multi, along with IFR and CPL multi portions, in the Duchess and Seminole. Having to deal with six levers on that quadrant, I think you develop a more heightened awareness of spotting potential issues before they become a problem. Since the procedures for dealing with emergencies in a 'manual' twin are much more 'involved' from the pilot standpoint, you really want to catch an issue well before it becomes an emergency.
You were drilled by your instructor on correctly identifying a dead engine, and executing the appropriate steps, so that when he shouted 'Engine failure' and pulled a throttle while you weren't looking, you immediately know what to do. In this highly computerized world we live in, I hope that of refined natural 'instinct' developed from learning how to do things manually doesn't completely go away in the aviation world.
This isn't a knock on pilots who have learned to fly in automated planes because there are many great pilots currently training, including many members here. Heck we are all in 'training'...even high time pilots like Dudley. If you didn't learn something or find something to improve every time you fly, then something is wrong. Highly automated planes can give you a false sense of competence, where as a manual plane will highlight things you need to improve..often very embarrassingly I might add lol.
I really hope A2A approaches the twin experience with the same visceral type of flight training like they have with all their planes, but especially with the 'vintage' planes.
It's kind of like teaching a kid to drive. Start out in a Prius, let them figure out the steering wheel, accelerator, and brake...but if they want to be good drivers with solid driving instinct, put them in an old stick....like an old stick shift jeep.
Oh the embarrassment your kids must feel when stalling out while learning clutch with a line of traffic behind...it sucks, we were all there at one point or another eh? 
...but we are good drivers for it. I remember when i was young, the first time I had to drive a stick a significant distance alone, I did NOT want to get stuck at a red light, I wanted to keep MOVING....and I made it almost all the way...then got stopped at a red light, first in line of course...I don't remember it totally, but I vaguely remember peeling out, hitting the clutch and gas...'aggressively'. It's funny cause all that stuff is fluid instinct now after all these years, even after periods of not driving a stick. Slightly off topic, you know a great thing about a stickshift? A lot fewer people can drive a stick, so the chances of your car getting stolen are a bit lower This isn't a rant against automation. Automation through technological innovation has always had an excellent and much needed role, especially when the flying or driving tasks involve carrying precious cargo...ie loved ones. Automation is excellent in 'working' airplanes...it frees up the pilot to focus on carrying out the airplane's designed mission...ie hauling, combat or whatever.
Anyway, sorry for the long winded post.
I am curious what the CFIs and everyone think about automation and training thing.
Cheers
TJ
