Right Seat Learning

wrote:
On Feb 25, 11:17 am, Dudley Henriques wrote:
wrote:
On Feb 25, 10:21 am, Dudley Henriques wrote:
wrote:
A question to all the CFIs on the board who actually remember ---
How many hours in the right seat before you felt as competent in the
right as in the left? (In a side by side, not a tandem, Bertie)
I flew right seat for the first time in a couple of weeks and I felt
as co-ordinated on landings as a drunken penguin.
The rest (Steep turns, ground reference, etc) was smooth and exceeded
PTS Comm standards.
After about 8 stop and goes things smoothed out....
Dan
Flying from the right seat simply involves getting used to some new
peripheral cues as far as accurate reading of instruments and parallax
is concerned. It also involves a switch of hands for control use ( as a
CFI you better get used to having that left hand in the throttle READY
position :-)) and some adjustment in nose attitude vs horizon reference
in turns.
Switching seats should pose little problems that a good checkout with an
instructor completely familiar with the above issues can't straighten
out for you pretty quickly.
A little practice time and it will all fit into place.
--
Dudley Henriques
You're right, but man those first few landings yesterday were dope
slaps. They weren't terrible (the owner who was riding in the left
seat would have stopped that!), but I knew they weren't right. Some
side loading, high flare, etc.
My first CFI dual time is scheduled this week and next. If the weather
allows (Which is doesn't look like it will) most dual will be in a
C172E with an aerobatics CFI to learn all the stupid pilot tricks and
recovery.
Next week is tailwheel time in a Champ or J-3 (whichever is available)
Dan
You won't have any trouble. Just relax and be aware of the cue
differences and you'll do just fine.
I'm one of the "old school" instructors who believe that pilots should
learn to fly airplanes with a free throttle hand in mind at all times.
This means I've taught every pilot I've ever trained to have a hand on
the throttle from pattern altitude on down or the other way around.
As a CFI, this becomes especially important with a caveat. You shouldn't
have your hand actually ON the throttle, but it ABSOLUTELY MUST be in a
constant READY TO ACT relaxed position in case a correction is needed
down low, especially on landings.
This means you have to get used to flying with the right hand on the
yoke (assuming a side by side with a yoke installed). or on the stick if
so equipped.
There are TWO controls you must always be ready as a CFI to "correct"
instantly but not actually be riding on a student. They are equally
important, and are the rudder, and the throttle.
The depth in error before intervention down low for aileron is a wider
range than it is for either rudder or throttle.
Take your time and get used to flying from the right seat.

--
Dudley Henriques

Good advice!

The Vernier throttle on the A36 takes some practice -- it's a long
reach.

My primary CFI drilled the throttle thing into me by pulling it back
whenever I would drop my hand.

Dan

I actually liked the throttle on the early Bonanza. With a little
practice you learned to palm the outer knob that released the vervier,
then brace your fingers against the panel to use for some opposing force
when advancing it or reducing it. It was that damn throw over yoke that
could give you fits as an instructor checking someone new out in the
airplane. You got used to holding on to the center post of that thing if
you needed to correct a control input rather than trying to use the yoke
itself when it was over on the left side with the student. :-))

--
Dudley Henriques

On Feb 25, 2:34 pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:
wrote:

I actually liked the throttle on the early Bonanza. With a little
practice you learned to palm the outer knob that released the vervier,
then brace your fingers against the panel to use for some opposing force
when advancing it or reducing it. It was that damn throw over yoke that
could give you fits as an instructor checking someone new out in the
airplane. You got used to holding on to the center post of that thing if
you needed to correct a control input rather than trying to use the yoke
itself when it was over on the left side with the student. :-))

--
Dudley Henriques

I'll have to try that technique. Lew Gage describes a similar
technique in his "E Series bonanzas"

I wasn't a fan of the throwover, but it's grown on me.

The design requirement apparently was to keep the right seat passenger
from being banged in the lap. And the interior head space was set so
that a man could sit inside and not have to remove his hat.

The A36 has dual controls, but that big honking yoke bar does making
reaching for things on the left a bit of a challenge!

Dan

wrote:
On Feb 25, 2:34 pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:
wrote:

I actually liked the throttle on the early Bonanza. With a little
practice you learned to palm the outer knob that released the vervier,
then brace your fingers against the panel to use for some opposing force
when advancing it or reducing it. It was that damn throw over yoke that
could give you fits as an instructor checking someone new out in the
airplane. You got used to holding on to the center post of that thing if
you needed to correct a control input rather than trying to use the yoke
itself when it was over on the left side with the student. :-))

--
Dudley Henriques

I'll have to try that technique. Lew Gage describes a similar
technique in his "E Series bonanzas"

I wasn't a fan of the throwover, but it's grown on me.

The design requirement apparently was to keep the right seat passenger
from being banged in the lap. And the interior head space was set so
that a man could sit inside and not have to remove his hat.

The A36 has dual controls, but that big honking yoke bar does making
reaching for things on the left a bit of a challenge!

Dan

I remember the first time I flew an early Bo. What a change from the
Tri-Pacer we were using at the time to give ADVANCED DUAL :-)))

--
Dudley Henriques

On Feb 25, 4:04 pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:


I remember the first time I flew an early Bo. What a change from the
Tri-Pacer we were using at the time to give ADVANCED DUAL :-)))

--
Dudley Henriques

Yesterday a guy was flying his Piper Colt around the pattern. I'm
sorry but that GEAR...ugh...kinda looks like it was made by Fisher-
Price.

One of the biggest shocks for most pilots (including Bonanza drivers)
is what a great Short Field airplane the 35 series is -- I can get
that thing in and out of anything a 152 can squeeze into -- and get
there a whole lot quicker and whole lot less cramped!!

Dan

wrote:
On Feb 25, 4:04 pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:

I remember the first time I flew an early Bo. What a change from the
Tri-Pacer we were using at the time to give ADVANCED DUAL :-)))

--
Dudley Henriques

Yesterday a guy was flying his Piper Colt around the pattern. I'm
sorry but that GEAR...ugh...kinda looks like it was made by Fisher-
Price.

One of the biggest shocks for most pilots (including Bonanza drivers)
is what a great Short Field airplane the 35 series is -- I can get
that thing in and out of anything a 152 can squeeze into -- and get
there a whole lot quicker and whole lot less cramped!!

Dan


Haven't flown a Bo in years but I don't doubt this for a second. The
airplane was WAY ahead of it's time and capable of astounding
performance; max performance near the left side of the envelope being no
exception.
Even during the structural failure years, I've always simply told
prospective Bo pilots to fly the airplane within it's limits, watch out
for the clean wing when on instruments, and correct for roll before
pitch if nose down.....all basic stuff of course, but especially
important in an airplane this slippery and the exact source of almost
all of the Bo's "problems".


--
Dudley Henriques

On Feb 25, 4:29 pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:
wrote:
On Feb 25, 4:04 pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:

I remember the first time I flew an early Bo. What a change from the
Tri-Pacer we were using at the time to give ADVANCED DUAL :-)))

--
Dudley Henriques

Yesterday a guy was flying his Piper Colt around the pattern. I'm
sorry but that GEAR...ugh...kinda looks like it was made by Fisher-
Price.

One of the biggest shocks for most pilots (including Bonanza drivers)
is what a great Short Field airplane the 35 series is -- I can get
that thing in and out of anything a 152 can squeeze into -- and get
there a whole lot quicker and whole lot less cramped!!

Dan

Haven't flown a Bo in years but I don't doubt this for a second. The
airplane was WAY ahead of it's time and capable of astounding
performance; max performance near the left side of the envelope being no
exception.
Even during the structural failure years, I've always simply told
prospective Bo pilots to fly the airplane within it's limits, watch out
for the clean wing when on instruments, and correct for roll before
pitch if nose down.....all basic stuff of course, but especially
important in an airplane this slippery and the exact source of almost
all of the Bo's "problems".

--
Dudley Henriques

Very true...

The '47 V takes some careful planning to arrive at the destination on
airspeed. Vle is 100 MPH, so you'd better prepare the descent. No
dropping the gear to help you down (unless you want to replace some
expensive parts).

The panel is such that I won't fly it IMC, though it is "legal."

The stall in the staright 35 is also a bit more exciting -- a very
clean break with a 30 degree nose down -- very unlike the mild-
mannered A36 with VGs - that thing is more docile than a 172.


Dan