Surely, I am entitled to participate with members of this august forum from that stand-point alone, even as a lowly probationer?!
Of course.
But suppose I was not. Why does that detract from what I say?
Not so much detract from what you say as put a different slant on your opinions. Any pilot will tell you that some situations in an aircraft cannot truly be understood unless you have the experience of being a pilot in the first place.
How many non-pilots can really imagine what it feels like to lose situational awareness or have things happening so fast that you are playing catch-up, something we have all experienced at some point in our flying careeers whether as low houred private pilot or an experienced commercial pilot having a bad day!