A method and apparatus for controlling the flight of an aircraft in the event of an in-flight emergency is disclosed. The apparatus includes: (a) a remote flight control, located separate and apart from said aircraft, for remote flight control of said aircraft by a remote human pilot; (b) an onboard manual flight control on the aircraft for manual flight control of the aircraft by an onboard human pilot; (c) an onboard autopilot on the aircraft for automatic flight control of the aircraft; (d) a device for detecting an in-flight emergency on board the aircraft, when the onboard pilot is incapable of properly manually flying said first aircraft due to an attack upon the aircraft or its occupants, including its onboard human pilots, or due to any other incapacity of the onboard human pilots, and producing an in-flight emergency signal in response thereto; and (e) an onboard remote piloting device on the aircraft for receiving the in-flight emergency control signal and control signals from said remote flight control device and allowing the control of the aircraft by the remote human pilot and preventing flight control by any person on board the aircraft.