Surely it is not that difficult.
Actually landing the plane is not so hard. Landing the plane in such a way that it can take off again, not so easy.
Favorite scene: “yes stewardess, I speak jive.”
Aircraft maintenance in the military, did heavy transports for several years - C-5A and C-141A. I know the power, hydraulic, avionics, flight and engine instrument systems. Fun Job, enjoyed it.
Could I land one? Maybe good enough to walk or crawl away. Reusing the airframe? That’ll cost you extra.
I don’t believe I could land any plane, but I’d have a pretty good shot at landing a Space Shuttle. A lifetime ago I used to work on the Shuttle Simulator at Johnson Space Center.
As a retired career pilot I think it possible to keep it in the air, even without the AP engaged but landing ... Nope!
Some of the bigger carrier flight decks are still 2 and 3 stories above the tarmac .. when they are sitting ON the tarmac!😁
AGAIN .. NOPE!😌
Half the guys (non-pilot candidates) who went into the simulator for the first time ever could follow instructions from "air traffic control" to adjust the throttle, maintain a heading, trim the nose, lower flaps, and follow an instrument glide slope. Their flair wasn't pretty but they would have survived.
Cars have technology to ‘practically’ drive themselves. I wouldn’t be surprised if modern passenger planes have technology that allows a plane to fly & land without a pilot.
Even if you have a seasoned pilot talking you through it on the radio, there still are two YUGE problems.
First, as you slow to landing speed, the flight controls become much less responsive because there’s less energy in the air flowing over the control surfaces. You start fighting the yoke, looking for the sweet spot between undercontrolling and overcontrolling. Which is next to impossible for anyone who’s never landed an airplane, particularly a large one because when you’re so close to the ground there’s little room for error.
And when you land, the fun is just beginning, because now you’re driving a car that’s going 150 MPH and you have to steer it WITH YOUR FEET.
Magic 8-Ball says: Outlook not so good
I’m an instrument rated pilot. I am sure I could. Just need the numbers for the aircraft since there is no time to study the flight manual.
More likely to be successful with a modern jetliner than a private plane. Get instructions on how to program the flight computer, and if it’s a major airport, the computers should do the hard work.
Except maybe San Francisco, where there appears to be an issue with some of the air traffic controllers.
Oh, I don’t know. When I worked as an engineer at Boeing, they let us into the simulators to try to land the plane. I was the only one in my group who managed it, although it did skid sideways on the runway a bit. I am female BTW.
Well if it was my flight Mr. GG2 would raise his hand and I’m not sayin he’d stick a 10 because its been a few decades but he’s rated on a 737 so with the controller in his ear we’d land. Somewhere. 😆
A military aviator could probably be talked through configuring the airplane with a type rated pilot on the radio and land it manually, although it wouldn't be pretty. A guy with 1000 hrs in a Cessna 172 landing it manually? You're probably gonna die. Somebody with no flight experience? Yeah right.
It's not that hard but it does take repetition and muscle memory. Water skiing isn't that hard but how many people stay up for a mile the first time they try it?
Anyone could land that plane.
But, to envoke Daffy Duck, ... You have to be able to walk away.
In the words of Indiana Jones, “How hard could it be?”
It’ll be on the ground when I’m finished, isn’t that good enough?