Right seat policies

Ron Natalie writes:

There's no requirement that you can't put them in the left seat. It's
commonly done when the right seat pilot is also a flight instructor,
but it could be any legal pilot.

Yes, but I presume that outside of flight instruction, it's unusual to
put someone else in the left seat (especially if that someone is not a
pilot).

It looks like most aircraft have some things that are only accessible
from the left side, although I guess all the important stuff is
duplicated (?).

Definitely. The forces of the plane work around the center of
gravity which is usually some where around the back of the front
seat. The rear seat of some aircraft will drift around a lot
more than the front. The closest I ever came to being sick in
a small plane was riding in the back of a 182 on a gusty day,
lots of swinging back and forth.

I'll remember to avoid back seats. I can get motion sickness in a
vehicle if there's a lot of movement and I can't see outside.

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Mxsmanic wrote:

Yes, but I presume that outside of flight instruction, it's unusual to
put someone else in the left seat (especially if that someone is not a
pilot).

it is unusual but mostly out of habit; not everything is duplicated,
but most of the stuff are reachable from either side. You have to
get used to some paralax effect but that's not a biggy; it is a
good idea though to first practice flying from the right seat with
someone qualified in the left: not so much because of what's inside
the cockpit, but because of the different perspective when looking
outside; at first, you end up climbing in left turns and diving
in right turns because you use the wrong reference relative to
the horizon; and landings are crooked as well.

As Emily pointed out though, some aircraft (for instance some
Piper Cherokees) only have brakes on the pedals on the left side.

I'll remember to avoid back seats. I can get motion sickness in a
vehicle if there's a lot of movement and I can't see outside.

the view from the backseat is often more limited as well, and
ventilation not as good...

--Sylvain

"Sylvain" wrote in message
t...
Mxsmanic wrote:


I'll remember to avoid back seats. I can get motion sickness in a
vehicle if there's a lot of movement and I can't see outside.

the view from the backseat is often more limited as well, and
ventilation not as good...


A lot depends on the aircraft. For some you sit in the back when flying solo
and passengers are typically put in the front seat (There is no right and
left)

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
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When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

LOL, that's the whole reason I fly from the right seat. I've been
instructing for twice as many hours as I have from the left seat, so if
I were to hop back into the left, I'd probably be sideloading the hell
out of those landings like the first time I switched to the right
during the CFI training.


Sylvain wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote:

Yes, but I presume that outside of flight instruction, it's unusual to
put someone else in the left seat (especially if that someone is not a
pilot).

it is unusual but mostly out of habit; not everything is duplicated,
but most of the stuff are reachable from either side. You have to
get used to some paralax effect but that's not a biggy; it is a
good idea though to first practice flying from the right seat with
someone qualified in the left: not so much because of what's inside
the cockpit, but because of the different perspective when looking
outside; at first, you end up climbing in left turns and diving
in right turns because you use the wrong reference relative to
the horizon; and landings are crooked as well.

Sylvain wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote:
I'll remember to avoid back seats. I can get motion sickness in a
vehicle if there's a lot of movement and I can't see outside.

the view from the backseat is often more limited as well, and
ventilation not as good...

Nor is the heat as good (if any!). In the winter, you can freeze to
death in the back seat of a small plane without a blanket. while the
pilots' toes are roasting.

Kev

Kev writes:

Nor is the heat as good (if any!). In the winter, you can freeze to
death in the back seat of a small plane without a blanket. while the
pilots' toes are roasting.

Why are expensive aircraft still missing the amenities that
inexpensive cars already had decades ago?

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Mxsmanic wrote:

Why are expensive aircraft still missing the amenities that
inexpensive cars already had decades ago?


Excellent question. Seriously, the ten years old cheapo
econobox that I drive is more confortable and has better
ergonomics than most aircraft I fly; but then, most of
these aircraft are far older than my car, which might
explain the difference; I started flying a brand spanking
new Symphony recently and it is really a major improvement
(and it is actually less noisy inside than my car)

--Sylvain

Sylvain writes:

Excellent question. Seriously, the ten years old cheapo
econobox that I drive is more confortable and has better
ergonomics than most aircraft I fly; but then, most of
these aircraft are far older than my car, which might
explain the difference; I started flying a brand spanking
new Symphony recently and it is really a major improvement
(and it is actually less noisy inside than my car)

I had thought that perhaps weight was a major constraint, but truly in
many respects private aircraft seem to be stuck in the 1920s,
comfort-wise.

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And how might you know that, never having sat in one?

On Oct 16, 12:29 pm, "Kev" wrote:
Nor is the heat as good (if any!). In the winter, you can freeze to
death in the back seat of a small plane without a blanket. while the
pilots' toes are roasting.

I was flying back from a day on the beach at Galveston one evening... I
had just been wearing flops, but I don't like the feel of them when I'm
flying, so I toss them in the back and fly barefoot... It was late in
the year and had gotten a bit cool, so I turne on the heater... Didn't
need my feet on the pedals, so they were flat on the floor... The route
back to my home airport didn't require much in the way of banked turns,
so I never had to move my feet... I'm doing a straight in approach for
27 at AXH and I then needed to operate the rudder pedals once I got on
short final since there is *always* a crosswind at AXH... Let's just
say that it was an interesting experience... I couldn't keep my feet on
the rudder pedals for more than a couple of seconds because they were
so hot... I quickly turned the heat off, but they weren't going to
dissipate that heat very quickly... End result were some rather toasty
areas on the bottom of my feet and a longer rollout than normal... And
a note to myself to not do that again... grin