ACR MD80 PILOT REPORTS BEING DISPATCHED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH NO FUNCTIONAL AUTOPILOT AND QUESTIONS THE SAFETY OF THIS PRACTICE.

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WITH THE NEW MAINT ATTITUDE OF DEFERRING EVERYTHING AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND DISPATCHING BROKEN AIRPLANES; A REAL TRAINING PROB HAS ARISEN. MD80 PLTS ARE SEEING AN INCREASING NUMBER OF AIRPLANES BEING DISPATCHED WITHOUT A FUNCTIONAL AUTOPLT. WHILE THE MEL AUTHORIZES THIS WITH FLTS UNDER 3 HRS; WE DO NOT TRAIN IN THE SIMULATORS FOR ENG FAILURE AND NO AUTOPLT. IN FACT; WITH AN ENG FAILURE AFTER V1 ON TKOF ROLL CHK AIRMEN PUSH TO HAVE THE PLTS ENGAGE THE AUTOPLT AT 500 FT TO UNLOAD PLT WORKLOAD. WE DO NOT PRACTICE ENG FAILURE ON TKOF WITH NO AUTOPLT. SO; WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS HAPPENS ON THE LINE? THE PF WILL HAVE TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING AND THE PNF WILL HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ELSE. THE PNF WILL BE DISTR BECAUSE HE WILL BE WORRIED ABOUT THE PF BEING OVERLOADED AND WILL BE WATCHING HIM MORE CLOSELY. FLT ATTENDANTS WILL BE LEFT OUT OF THE LOOP BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO TIME TO COMMUNICATE; AND BOTH PLTS WILL BE TOO BUSY TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT ESSENTIAL ITEMS. WHY ARE WE NOT ADDRESSING THIS IN OUR TRAINING; OR WHY WE ARE LETTING 2-PLT AIRPLANES TO BE DISPATCHES WITH NO AUTOPLTS?