Right seat flying

Matt Whiting wrote:
running with scissors wrote:

From: Anthony Acri )
Subject: Right Seat Flying



Date: 2001-12-11 03:21:43 PST




Does anybody know if there is any regulations about flying from the


right

seat? Would like to flyi from the right seat while taking some


people up

for sightseeing. Have been flying from the right when I have been


doing my

instructors courses.



Thanks



As a question, why would you want to place a passenger in the left
seat? what purpose would it serve ?


You might be helping a student pilot work on some procedures in between
their lessons. I went back and re-read Amy's article and she did say
student pilot, however, I don't see why it matters whether the left seat
occupant is a student pilot or a non-pilot. I've never come across an
FAR that says I can't fly from the right seat, no matter who is in the
left seat or whether it is empty.

I heard back from Amy. As I stated above, she was referring
specifically to a student pilot and apparently the "sole manipulator"
rule prohibits a non-instructor pilot from allowing a student pilot to
manipulate the controls as this would constitute the student pilot
carrying a passenger. However, I don't see why this would matter which
seat you were sitting in. If this is illegal, seems it would be as
illegal to have the student in the right seat. It also seems odd that
you can let a non-student handle the controls and be legal, but can't
let a student pilot legally fly when you are in the airplane.

I would have posted Amy's email here, but she didn't respond to my
request for permission to do so and I don't consider it good etiquette
to post an email sent to me without the author's OK.


Matt