Fun with Flying: Right-Seat Time

"Bob Fry" wrote in message
...
So last weekend I thought I'd teach myself to fly from the right seat.
Straight-off I gotta say, don't try this in a touchy or complicated
aircraft without an instructor. But I figured I could do it by myself
in my Aircoupe.

When I finally landed at my home base over an hour later I was
satisfied. I will practice right-seat flying some more to polish the
skills and keep learning. Eventually when it is natural I can offer
passengers or fellow pilots the left seat should they wish to see what
it's like to fly a Coupe from the proper position. A new skill
acquired instead of redoing an old lunch trip.

Bob,

Great report! I have thought about trying some right-seat flying in my
Ercoupe but I think I'll get another pilot or CFI to ride with in the left
seat before I try it solo. Mine has a bit different starting sequence and
doesn't have those rudder pedal thingies, only a single brake pedal on the
left side. I did try taxiing once from the fuel pumps to my hangar from the
right seat, about 50 yards without much problems.

If I ever decide to go for the Sport Pilot CFI add-on to do some SP training
in my Ercoupe, I'll get some right-seat training and practice.

-Greg B.
(remove dot)

I flew my cherokee from the right seat once. Coming back from Oshkosh with
another pilot. I gave him the left seat for the return trip. I landed once,
pretty badly on a 150 x 7000 runway.

Since that time, I have forced myself to taxi from the right seat any time I
won't be taking off. Typically to the gas pumps. It's also a little easier
as the cherokee only has a door on the right, so I don't have to climb over
to the left seat.

I'll have to find someone to sit in the left seat for me one of these days.

"N93332" wrote in message
...
"Bob Fry" wrote in message
...
I did try taxiing once from the fuel pumps to my hangar from the
right seat, about 50 yards without much problems.

Steve Foley wrote:

Since that time, I have forced myself to taxi from the right seat any time I
won't be taking off. Typically to the gas pumps. It's also a little easier
as the cherokee only has a door on the right, so I don't have to climb over
to the left seat.

I've always taxied from the fuel pump to tie down from the right seat
for exactly that reason. I've been threatening to actually fly from the
right seat, but fortunately for those that share the airport with me, I
have yet to do so.


-m
--
## Mark T. Dame
## VP, Product Development
## MFM Software, Inc. (http://www.mfm.com/)
"Never underestimate the power of a Dark Clown!"
-- Tripping The Rift: Darph Bobo

"Mark T. Dame" wrote

I've been threatening to actually fly from the
right seat, but fortunately for those that share the airport with me, I
have yet to do so.

I have always wondered where flying from the left seat for the PIC came
from. It seems like the proper way (rules of right of way in consideration)
would be like the boaters do.

Anyone know when and why this convention started?
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote:

"Mark T. Dame" wrote

I've been threatening to actually fly from the
right seat, but fortunately for those that share the airport with me,
I have yet to do so.

I have always wondered where flying from the left seat for the PIC
came from. It seems like the proper way (rules of right of way in
consideration) would be like the boaters do.

Anyone know when and why this convention started?

Appers to have originated with the Wright brothers:

http://www.aopa.org/pilot/100/news0308.html

"The Wrights moved to a seated pilot position and upright hand controls
with the prototype airplane made in 1908 for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
Additionally, another seat with dual controls was added at this time. The
pilot controlled the throttle with the left hand, and the wing warping,
rudder, and elevator with the right hand. The pilot sat in the left seat.
In 1909, on a Model B aircraft, the brothers modified this scheme for their
first "left-handed" pilot, Walter Brookins, who sat in the right seat and
worked the wing-warping controls with his left hand. That way he could
train students sitting in the left seat. A foundation for modern
instructing was born."

"Jim Logajan" wrote

Appers to have originated with the Wright brothers

The pilot sat in the left seat.

Damn Wright brothers. What the hell did they know, anyway? ;-)

The next question is, why nobody ever changed it?
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote:
"Jim Logajan" wrote

Appers to have originated with the Wright brothers

The pilot sat in the left seat.

Damn Wright brothers. What the hell did they know, anyway? ;-)

The next question is, why nobody ever changed it?

It appears it has gotten changed - for helicopter pilots. Here's an article
where the author proposes a theory on how the predominant convention for
helicopter pilots became the right seat:

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question...rs/q0072.shtml

As to why nobody ever tried changing seating conventions - what gain is
there? Imagine learning baseball with the glove on one hand and later
trying to switch. The relearning process would be long and awkward, and
unless there is some advantage, no reason to change. Just my two cents.

" "Mark T. Dame" wrote

I've been threatening to actually fly from the
right seat, but fortunately for those that share the airport with me, I
have yet to do so.

Morgans" wrote in message
...

I have always wondered where flying from the left seat for the PIC came
from. It seems like the proper way (rules of right of way in
consideration)
would be like the boaters do.

How do the boaters do? My boat has a left hand steering position.

Allen

A. Smith wrote:
" "Mark T. Dame" wrote

I've been threatening to actually fly from the
right seat, but fortunately for those that share the airport with me, I
have yet to do so.

Morgans" wrote in message
...

I have always wondered where flying from the left seat for the PIC came
from. It seems like the proper way (rules of right of way in
consideration)
would be like the boaters do.

How do the boaters do? My boat has a left hand steering position.

Allen

I'm a big sprawling guy, and I fly a Cessna 150. Sometimes when there
is hanging by a string weather (no turbulence), I move to the "middle"
seat and fly from that position-left foot on left rudder on left
side, right foot on right rudder on right side, left hand on left yoke,
right hand on right yoke. The 150 cabin is so small that it works fine
for cruise, and is a nice change for long cross-country flights.

I've tried flying from the right seat, buy only after I'm in the air
and in good weather. I think that would be the way to go about learning
right seat. I can't imagine starting with taxi, take off and landings.
Instead, I'd go through all the maneuvers in the air first: level
turns, climbing turns, slow flight, etc. (of course, that would only
work with an airplane where you can easily slide from one seat to the
other and then rebuckle--as you can in a 150.) Once I was happy with
those maneuvers, I'd try a take off, but not a landing. I'd not try a
landing until I'd done some power off stalls, turns around the point
and so on.

I'd think it would take about 25 hours of right hand flying before I'd
feel proficient enough to think of it as routine.