As a current 737 pilot, I have found this a interesting read.
If it is possible for a PPL holder to manually fly a Jet aircraft, why oh why do we use the autopilot and autothrottle most of the time, even on approach.
Amongst all of this there have been stories of pilots landing in extreme situations, but no mention of Helios Flight 522. Andreas Prodromou, the flight attendent who gained access to the flight deck, had a UK issued CPL, unfortunately it did not help at all.
Saying I can manually handle a 737 is all and good, but what happens on the glide when you get a bit high, do you take the power off, if so how much, then what will happen to your pitch. When do you drop the gear and set landing flaps, what will that do to your pitch and power settings.
If my flight suffered a Pilot Incapacitation, I would choose to use Autoland where ever possible. BA used to have that in their QRH, they may still do.
When you learn to fly a Boeing and I am sure most other jets, you are given a set of pitch and power settings, these are ballpark numbers intended to help you.
Bearcat, if you are so interested, I would book a hour in a 737 sim and during that time, ask to fly a profile or two unassisted. Lets see how you do then.