Piper doors, why the passenger side?

So the CFI can hold the door open while taxiing in the summertime.

"Nathan Young" wrote in message
om...
First off, this isn't a post to argue the merits of one-door vs.
two-doors, so if you want to do that, start your own thread...

Why does Piper put the door of the plane on the passenger side? I
cannot think of one good reason. Would like to hear the group's
opinions.

OTOH, I can think of several reasons it would be better to have the
single door on the pilots side:
1. Most flights are solo, so with the door on the pilots side, no
need to constantly climb across the passenger seat.
2. On that same point, I like to keep my charts and headsets on the
passenger seat. Again, I have to crawl over them each flight to get
to the pilots seat.
3. It would be nice to allow passengers to board before the pilot
enters.
4. Again most flights are solo, it seems that egress in the event of
an emergency would be easier with the door on the pilots side.

-Nathan

I think it harks back to the idea that the pilot should be the first to
enter and the last to leave.

- Mark

"markjen" wrote in message
news:eNncb.569893$o%2.254121@sccrnsc02...

I think it harks back to the idea that the pilot should be the first to
enter and the last to leave.


Ah, but in that case, wouldn't it have been best to have put the door at
the *back* to give the rear-seaters a chance to get out?


--
Dr. Tony Cox
Citrus Controls Inc.
e-mail:
http://CitrusControls.com/

"Tony Cox" writes:

Ah, but in that case, wouldn't it have been best to have put the door at
the *back* to give the rear-seaters a chance to get out?

That's why there's a baggage door.


All the best,


David

"Tony Cox" wrote in message
nk.net...

Ah, but in that case, wouldn't it have been best to have put the door at
the *back* to give the rear-seaters a chance to get out?


Some Piper light aircraft did have a door at the back. The four-place
PA-16, PA-20, and PA-22 had doors on the right for the front seats and on
the left for the rear seats.

Another reason is that it is easier to reach the prop and pull it down
to start. Have you seen the old picture of the pilot doing this?
Solo. In flight. Prop is stopped. Pilot standing on right gear, left hand
holding onto plane.


In article ,
(Nathan Young) wrote:
First off, this isn't a post to argue the merits of one-door vs.
two-doors, so if you want to do that, start your own thread...

Why does Piper put the door of the plane on the passenger side? I
cannot think of one good reason. Would like to hear the group's
opinions.

OTOH, I can think of several reasons it would be better to have the
single door on the pilots side:
1. Most flights are solo, so with the door on the pilots side, no
need to constantly climb across the passenger seat.
2. On that same point, I like to keep my charts and headsets on the
passenger seat. Again, I have to crawl over them each flight to get
to the pilots seat.
3. It would be nice to allow passengers to board before the pilot
enters.
4. Again most flights are solo, it seems that egress in the event of
an emergency would be easier with the door on the pilots side.

-Nathan

"dennis brown" wrote in message
nk.net...

Another reason is that it is easier to reach the prop and pull it down
to start. Have you seen the old picture of the pilot doing this?
Solo. In flight. Prop is stopped. Pilot standing on right gear, left hand
holding onto plane.


So you think Piper put the door on the right side to make inflight hand
propping possible?

Actually, almost yes.

It was fairly common to start planes from behind the prop. Some had no brakes
so it was safer than trying to start from the front. If they had chocks,
connected by a rope, that would work. But it had the possibility of getting
rope and chocks into the prop.

I have started a plane by standing across the right gear and bringing the
blade down. It was quite comfortable. You're holding onto something
(the struts) and you know the prop is not going to run over you. In my old
age, I don't prop planes.


In article . net, "Steven P.
McNicoll" wrote:

"dennis brown" wrote in message
ink.net...

Another reason is that it is easier to reach the prop and pull it down
to start. Have you seen the old picture of the pilot doing this?
Solo. In flight. Prop is stopped. Pilot standing on right gear, left hand
holding onto plane.


So you think Piper put the door on the right side to make inflight hand
propping possible?

"dennis brown" wrote in message
nk.net...

Actually, almost yes.

It was fairly common to start planes from behind the prop. Some had no
brakes
so it was safer than trying to start from the front. If they had chocks,
connected by a rope, that would work. But it had the possibility of
getting
rope and chocks into the prop.

I have started a plane by standing across the right gear and bringing the
blade down. It was quite comfortable. You're holding onto something
(the struts) and you know the prop is not going to run over you. In my old
age, I don't prop planes.


I do prop planes, I own an Aeronca 7AC, and I do prop it from behind. But
I'm fairly confident Aeronca put the sole door on the right side because the
left side was occupied by throttle linkage, not to make inflight restarts
possible.

"Steven P. McNicoll" writes:

I do prop planes, I own an Aeronca 7AC, and I do prop it from
behind. But I'm fairly confident Aeronca put the sole door on the
right side because the left side was occupied by throttle linkage,
not to make inflight restarts possible.

As I mentioned before, passenger entry and exit would also be a
consideration. If you want people to be able to get in or out of the
plane with the engine still running, the door cannot be on the
pilot's side.


All the best,


David