Originally Posted by MaxThrustPower

It's admirable that you'd want to step in if needed.

Originally Posted by MaxThrustPower

Odds are, you'll probably never run into a case where not only both pilots are incapacitated and there are also no other active (or retired) commercial pilots on board, not to mention any other current (or former) military pilots or civilian general aviation pilots, any of whom would be preferable to take the controls over someone with no experience whatsoever actually piloting an airplane.

Originally Posted by MaxThrustPower

It's great that you are fascinated by aviation and understand the principles of flight. But I can't overstate how very superficial that (very) general knowledge of some of the basics is compared to what we learn as pilots. There's a lot more complexity to it that might meet the eye, as evidenced by JohnBurke's reply above. Pilots fly a complex airplane with their "head" (mentally) as much as physically. It takes practice, mentally and physically, to do it even reasonably safely.

Originally Posted by MaxThrustPower

I might understand human physiology but I don't think you'd want me to practice surgery on you unless there was no other choice!