RE: Trying to understand incidence
A little more on stability. There is basically no difference between a stable 0-0-0 pattern ship trimmed to fly at 1g level flight and a stable trainer with 2 degrees of incidence that is flying at 1 g level flight. If both are statically and dynamically stable they will return to 1g level flight when disturbed.
If both are put into a 3g looping maneuver then the elevators are putting each at a new trimmed angle of attack. Both are still stable due to the CG placement and are going to return to the 3g trimmed conditon if a gusts hits them in the middle of the loop.
It is impossible for a 0-0-0 airplane to fly level without some elevator trim input either from the trim lever or just holding a little back stick. With 0-0-0 and no elevator trim input the airplane is at a 0g condition but is still stable. When disturbed it will return to the 0g condition.