I just want to say good luck. We’re all counting on you.
At the top of the thread, the consensus seemed to be that my hypothetical experienced Cessna pilot could do it, but as I continue to read, opinion seems to change.
I guess a lot of it depends on external conditions and the type of airliner. In JKellyMap’s it does seem like that particular aircraft can do most of the work, and all Tom Scott had to do was follow directions in setting everything up.
To a degree IMNSHO flying is like riding s bicycle. Landing a sailplane is always a “no go around” proposition so a glider pilot might have an edge.
I’d say the bigger risk is trying to clear the thicket of tech out of the way so the wannabe can use the stick, rudder and throttle in the least complex manner. With enough time for a little practice at getting tthe glide slope correct and throttle control - I think it could be done and indeed has been done especially with a guide pilot in your headphones. my 2 cents
Recall a smaller jet (737? Dc-9?) tried to land on a highway in the Southern USA when the engines both died after flying through a thunderstorm with hail (a highly discouraged procedure). They almost made it and were down but still going fast when a wing clipped a light pole.
I assume part of the problem for an amateur would be guessing height if they are landing manually. Unlike a Cessna flaring about maybe 15 feet up, I presume the view from the cockpit of a passenger jet during flare would be up possibly 50 feet or more considering sitting on the ground it’s close to 20 feet. Or learn to read the right instrument really quickly…
I flew many times with a buddy in his Cessna 172. I sure learned a lot. Instructions from ground control, from the ATC, how to read the instruments (the “six-pack” especially). It got to the point where, when we had friends with us, Buddy would tell them, “Spoons gets the co-pilot seat, because if I drop dead, he knows enough to take over and get talked in.”
But that was after many flights. The first time we flew, I was as confused by radio traffic, air traffic, and ground traffic as anybody could be.
I don’t know that you really need to get it right. Flaring is more to save the airplane than the passengers. If I burn up the breaks, snap off the gear, land on the belly and skid to a halt, that’s counted as a success. Some people might get whiplash or smack their head and get a concussion, but still, considering the scneario, that seems like a good outcome.
“…And in a great landing, you get to re-use the plane!”
According to this post in another thread I started on the same subject, Wiki says it has never actually happened: Amateur successfully landing a commercial jetliner? - #6 by MikeS
But you can’t put baseball cards in the wheels.
Surely there’s a difference between a former squadron leader with combat experience in high performance fighters and a purely civilian Cessna pilot? Regardless of what happened over Macho Grande? I don’t think the fighter pilot meets any definition of amateur.