On Friday, April 5, 2013 10:14:36 AM UTC-6, wrote:
I for one couldn't agree more with everything that Bob says. However, I'm not convinced side-by-side seating is necessary or even a good thing for people who will be mainly flying in line seating singles. I'm trying hard to be convinced, I want to be convinced, because everything else about the Aurora concept is awesome. I've instructed in both types and admittedly communication is an issue in tandems. If designing and building a tandem cockpit is cheaper and easier, I'd say address communication issues with a nice lightweight intercom. Whatever the case, I applaud Bob's efforts with Aurora and his well-informed sound practical thinking.

Tandem vs. side-by-side is a non-issue. I learned in LK-10's and Pratt Reads. The only people who thought side-by-side seating might be hard had never flown the PR. The PR's seating seemed odd for about 10 seconds on the first flight then it became perfectly natural. If anything, the LK was harder to learn in because I sometimes couldn't quite understand what the instructor wanted.

I really liked the PR in that I could see the instructor point to things and it was much easier to follow his demonstrations of a maneuver when sitting beside him. Being able to watch the instructor do a "handie" of a maneuver was invaluable.