@chopjock
If these observers told you that, it was total bull....
A colleague and I tried it once. I was PF and he sat beside me. He reached over and handled the controls (sans pedals) from his side. It worked and I think he might have gotten us down in one piece (we stopped it at a save height), BUT ..,,,
He had more experience than me at that time (couple of thousand hours) and it was an R44 where he could easily reach the stick!!! And I was fully awake and ready to take over😎
I say it is not possible in a normal helicopter and for somebody having no flight experience (licence).
Nice fairytale, though😉