Fun with Flying: Right-Seat Time

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.

"A. Smith" wrote

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

That is interesting. I don't think I have ever seen a left side (port side)
command position. What kind of boat, year and country of origin?
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:

That is interesting. I don't think I have ever seen a left side (port side)
command position. What kind of boat, year and country of origin?

It doesn't seem to be real common, but some of the older runabouts had port-side
controls. Here's an old Chris-Craft.

http://www.classicboat.com/classic-b...unabout-6e.htm

George Patterson
Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you quarrel with your neighbor.
It makes you shoot at your landlord. And it makes you miss him.