Interesting idea, but I can’t recall any indication in the script or the novel that Artoo was piloting the pod. I would think any signs of being piloted would blow the whole ruse of a short circuited jettison? And if the area Artoo needs to land in is on the opposite side of the planet, that means orbiting long enough to get close, which again blows the ruse.
In science fiction, escape pods tend towards being heavily automated so civilian passengers can use one.

If the scenes of Luke observing the battle with his macrobinoculars had not been cut, that would be another level of plot convenience playhouse.

And has everyone forgotten the secret identity of that R5 unit? 😉
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Skippy_the_Jedi_Droid