I'm a commercial pilot with an ATP rating (and 13000+ hours) and I have a few observations on your comments. Drones will continue to expand their roles in aviation, but will not likely replace pilots in people transport. It's less a matter of convincing the flying public than the insurance industry. We simply have not and likely will not achieve an artificial intelligence that can replace an experienced pilots judgement. Same could be said for miliary pilots but in the business of war, there are still "acceptable" levels of "collateral damage".
commercial pilots have a hand on the stick only during takeoffs and landings, but all modern heavies can land and take off under autopilot, and have been able to for about thirty years.
As for that, I've never heard of any transport category aircraft that can take off on its own but, yes, they are capable (not better at) landing on their own. And that requires a great deal of training, preparation, and qualififcation- typically employed when there is a near complete lack of visual reference (RVRs of less than 500 or 1/8th mile visibility). Some aircraft carrier catapult launches are hands off, but just to prevent PIOs until sufficiently airborne.
Again, replacing pilots (and their experience and judgement) in the cockpit is a long way off if ever. Issues like weather, mechanical abnormalities, interaction with other traffic, etc. necessitates human pilots (IMHO).
More on topic, all of my "training" is done in simulators. The initial operating experience is done with passengers on board.