D Ramapriya writes:

Any pilot would tell you that humans are incapable of matching
computers' sophistication in precision flying. Why else would most
airline SOPs actually bar pilots from hand-flying above 1,000 feet?

Above 1000 feet? Did you miss a zero there?

I know that RVSM requires autopilot and some airlines have policies that
require autopilot for normal operations under certain conditions, but
requiring that autopilot be used above 1000 feet is hard to believe.

Which airlines require this, and why?

I still can't believe the ultra-sophisticated Airbuses allow rudders
to move so much that the empennage can actually sever from the rest of
the fuselage. As omissions go, that must take the biscuit!

Having been the victim of French engineering on multiple occasions in the
past, I have no trouble believing that French engineers overlooked this. Their
objective is not to maximize safety, but to show the world how clever they are
(a rather tall order, given that they aren't actually very clever).