On Saturday, August 8, 2015 at 10:40:35 PM UTC+3, Andy Blackburn wrote:
I find this an odd discussion since this is in reference to a dynamic mode that is related to the interaction between speed and pitching moment - it requires you not to make control inputs for many tens of seconds and the pitch, airspeed and altitude excursions that result are considerable. I don't know of any pilot or any airplane where this would happen without a deliberate effort to NOT fly the airplane - or if your elevator became disabled.

No one needs to think about controlling the phugoid - it is subordinated to simple pitch and airspeed control that happen on a far, far shorter timescale. The dominant dynamic mode there is short-period, but even that's not a big factor from a pilot control perspective.

Yes OF COURSE if you are controlling the pitch and therefore the speed then you will never see a phugoid. OF COURSE. But how do you control the pitch if you can't see the pitch or even changes in the pitch? What control input should you make? Normally you don't even think about this because it's so obvious and subconscious. But it DOES rely on outside visual references, and isn't going to work when you're in a cloud and don't have any.