I find myself handflying my takeoffs and climbs way more than I used to with the NGX.  The 777 is so stable and so nice to fly, I'll throw it in LNAV and VNAV and fly the needles for path guidance.  It's nice to hand fly this machine all the way to cruise before engaging the AP.  I'm on my way from Dubai to Funchal right now, so I'll be disconnecting the AP at TOD and flying the whole descent right onto the runway.  This bird at Madeira should be an interesting one!

I hand fly to cruise and descent once I get below 18,000. She flys great I also flew the NGX and Aerosoft A320 this way as well.

Ryan, absolutely!

Unless there's a good reason otherwise, I handfly until stabilised in the climb at the VNAV CLB speed, and generally take control again anywhere between 10,000ft and established on the approach., depending on the complexity fo the STAR I'm flying.

 

A lot of work went into the FBW on the 777 and it really does reward the handflyer.

Agreed.  Did it a lot with the NGX, and didn't think I'd be able to with the 777.  Love it.  And landings are a delight.  More forgiving as you set her down, I think, but that's made up for by the finesse needed to line her up properly. 

You bet, I can't stand using the autopilot below 10,000 feet if weather permits.

Can anyone recommend or put up their joystick sensitivity settings that they are happy with?  I've been trying to find some more realistic-feeling settings.

Just hand flew the BNN1B approach into London Heathrow. So sweet. Touchdown didn't even wear her tyres. This thing is a dream to land! However, you have to keep an eye on the airspeed during approach. She is slippery!

 

Rynardt

Love hand flying takeoff right on up to about 10k, and approaches I hand fly all the way to landing. Sometimes on final capturing glidslope, sometimes I take over on base or downwind. 

 

Super smooth aircraft and a joy to fly. That said, the ngx provides more challenge and the MD11 even more which also makes it fun. 

She is slippery, RSR remarked to me once that the MD-11 has more drag on one wing that the entire 777 body. I have to keep A/T engaged to manage the speed.

I have been doing a ton of hand flying up to and below 10000 ft. Trying to get ready for my next step at the VA I fly with. On this one is the parkway visual approach 13L at JFK. I do really good up to the point of the last 100 feet. Not flaring on time. So I keep practicing this approach

Can anyone recommend or put up their joystick sensitivity settings that they are happy with?  I've been trying to find some more realistic-feeling settings.

100% sensitivity in all axes is the only way to be realistic in FSX.  Anything less simply slows down your control inputs. That doesn't happen in the real aircraft.

 

Hand flying in the 777 will be a lot better when PMDG release the fix they are working on for the FBW trim. At the moment there is no need to trim out for speed changes. Probably best not to get used to it as it is, because it will change.