Teropa, no reason at all why a like minded "amateur" should not do the job in extremis, particularly with the help of the automatics and a skilled operator (pilot) on the other end of the radio.
Consider the number of times complete non aviators have been talked down in hand flown light a/c following the incapacitation of their instructor/pilot. The Brian Lecomber incident in the Isle of Wight , and the subsequent (successful) rerun by a non flying journalist springs to mind.
As a keen flight-sim flyer you should be well placed to handle this scenario, even in a big complex transport a/c.
But remember, we commercial pilot are not paid to pull off uneventful take offs and landings, we are paid (generally guite well) to cope with the emergency situation that without our seldom used expertise would certainly kill all on board. Fortunately most of us never need to earn that money, but sometimes, just occasionally, someone does. And that makes it all worthwhile.
So, of course you can hack it when all is working (my mum once flew an acceptable circuit in a Chinook in the sim, and she knows as as much about flying as I know about Japanese), the trick is to keep it all together whan things go wrong.
On a more serious note I'm concerned at teropa's reference to a post by aisleman that does not exist. Sadly this appears to be yet another example of the over zealous use of the veto by the "moderators" on this bulletin board who seem all too willing to excise entire posts without acknowledgement or explanation. The continued use of such Orwellian levels of control does not bode well for the right of free speech here. I know it is "their train set" but the unfettered power of individuals over the voices of the majority usually ends in mess and tears.
Beware...
