Flying from the right seat (non CFI)

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

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After reading Florida Pilots thread and the left handed stuff I got to wondering if anyone ever flies from the right seat.

There was a man that landed at my home field a month or so back. He was the sole occupant and he was in the right seat of his 182.

So Other than CFIs here, anyone ever fly from the right solo?
I have thought about doing it just for the heck of it but if things are dodgy, you are sort of committed. No way I could slide over in my plane.
 
I fly right seat in our RV-9A when solo because the left seat is set up with rudder pedal extensions which would make it much too cramped for me.

The first time or two it feels strange but in short order you will not even notice it.
 
I have done right seat,while solo,never had a problem. Did some right seat charter work also.
 
Tyler picked me up from work one day and I flew right seat and it was strange, Im sure I could of landed it if I had to... but I wouldnt prefer it.
 
I never do it solo, but I have flown a lot with my son in the left seat, I am PIC, but he is flying. :D I did try to fly home from DET on afternoon about 15 years ago from the right seat of my 441, my attitude indicator on the left side rolled over and died, I flew about 20 minutes from the right seat and decided it was better to fly from the left seat without the AI. :dunno:
 
I did do it prior to getting my CFI, just got used to from being up with friends. Then after my CFI it was almost habit, to the point flying in the left seat was feeling awkward. So now when I am solo I will alternate from time to time. I personally recommend most people try it and get used to it, especially if you are flying right seat with other pilots.
 
Never done it.

If you ever see a guy flying solo back seat in a 182, let us know.... :goofy::D
 
Shepherd said:
First couple of times are a little strange. Then you get used to it.
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My experience as well. Pretty much a non-event. After I got my commercial I started flying 172s and PA28s from the right almost exclusively. Even flew my 170 from the right a bit. I was doing of to get comfortable doing all the CFI maneuvers from the right side. Only thing I found that was a pain is flying IFR from the right since all of the instruments were on the other side.

I haven't done much right seat since I got the Baron (no copilot brakes).
 
My Dad, who has mostly flown as a CFI, doesn't like flying in the left seat. Even now, 15 years later, he's flying with my CFI to get his skills back and he still flies in the right seat, making my CFI fly in the left.
 
For me it makes no difference, I can work with either seat just as efficiently. Most of the time when I fly typical GA aircraft with someone else I go right seat because the other person almost always prefers left. If I had to go solo I'd sit on whichever seat makes it easier to reach all the switches (ex: fuel selector).
On the other hand I dislike flying right seat in IMC if all the gauges are on the left, but I've done it and it's not a issue (just a preference).

And no, I'm not a CFI.


I used to have a buddy who always preferred right seat (even solo), he was not a CFI. He did fly Cherokees, so the location of the door might have had something to do with it.
 
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I sit in the middle when I fly a C150. I use the two outer rudder pedals. That halfway counts doesn't it?
 
When I flew with a CFI on an x country, I flew the first leg and after we landed and got ready to head back I was getting ready to go in the right seat so he could fly the return leg and he said just stay in the left seat. He said he got really used to sitting on the right side
 
I want to do this someday... mainly because the passenger window does not open and sometimes a non-pilot wants pictures.
 
I flew right seat one time, solo, and rather enjoyed it. Student, I showed up at the 1948' strip to go flying. It was a nice day and I had a thought -- fly from the right seat. I climbed into the Skyhawk(see avatar), sat there and played with all of the now left-handed controls to become familiar with the juxtaposition. Engine running, I taxied back and forth numerous times to acclimate to the position changes. The takeoff was normal, I stayed in or barely outside the pattern. What goes up must sooner or later come down; and I did -- no problem. There were no ongoing wind changes, so I went up again, and landed, four or five times. I actually felt more seat-of-the-pants flying sensation, in touch with the plane, while in the right seat.

Having had a pleasant day of it at the rural airport(see photo), I was pleased and, later, defined the occasion on the AOPA forum that night; and got royally chewed-out by several for having done the routine(without an instructor).

More recently, wanting to photograph from the left seat's opening window, I've asked a couple other guys who fly my plane to fly right seat so I can photograph. Each has said that, "oh no, can't fly right seat." Neither seemed to accept that there's nothing difficult about it except getting acclimated to the position change and NOT always looking to the left where the instruments happen to be. And, if an inflight situation were to become uncomfortable to either, I could take the controls in the left seat. "Nope; can't do that." ???????????

HR
 

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I've flown right seat but not solo. I can't in my plane, there are no right seat brakes.
 
I taxied from fuel to the tiedown once from the right seat - too freaky for me.
 
once you get used to the new sight picture for taxi, take off and landing its not too bad. then you have to get used to the parallax error for reading the instruments. other than that its dosent seem any different in the air
 
I saw the Canadian Snow Birds perform, and noticed some of the pilots flew in the right seat of their CT-114 Tutors, and some on the left. I was overthinking this and thought perhaps some were CFIs and felt better on one side than the other. So I asked one of the pilots about this, and he said it depended on which wing they were on for their formation flights.

Duh. I should have considered that.
 
JBrown243 said:
once you get used to the new sight picture for taxi, take off and landing its not too bad. then you have to get used to the parallax error for reading the instruments. other than that its dosent seem any different in the air
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True!

HR
 
My CFI tells me to not use the brakes. Ground speed is manage by Throttle. On landing Roll out yank up elevator if you are running out of runway to create drag.
 
It's all the same really after you get used to it.

Try teaching in the back of a tandem with no rear instruments, I could make out airspeed & altitude, if the student was tiny half of the tach.
 
nddons said:
I saw the Canadian Snow Birds perform, and noticed some of the pilots flew in the right seat of their CT-114 Tutors, and some on the left. I was overthinking this and thought perhaps some were CFIs and felt better on one side than the other. So I asked one of the pilots about this, and he said it depended on which wing they were on for their formation flights.
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The USAF considered that a big deal for the F-111, and put limitations on formation operations beyond 2-ship without a rated pilot in the right seat for flying on the left wing. OTOH, the Navy didn't set any restrictions at all on cross-cockpit formation work for A-6's, where only the left seat had flight controls and we did 4-ship formation from both sides of lead all the time. Personally, I got pretty good at formation flying from the right seat on either wing in the F-111, and am equally happy as #4 on the end of an echelon from either seat on either wing in the Grummans in which I fly formation these days.
 
evapilotaz said:
My CFI tells me to not use the brakes. Ground speed is manage by Throttle. On landing Roll out yank up elevator if you are running out of runway to create drag.
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I'm wondering what you're flying, and whether its tires are kept up to pressure. In most light planes, the airplane will move forward and accelerate to 8-10 knots with the throttle at idle, so it would be pretty hard to taxi without using brakes. Likewise, without brakes, most light planes would roll a very long way after landing even with the elevator full back before they would be slow enough to turn.
 
evapilotaz said:
My CFI tells me to not use the brakes. Ground speed is manage by Throttle. On landing Roll out yank up elevator if you are running out of runway to create drag.
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That won't work on our 1000' farm strip.

Them trees get mighty big in the windshield quick.... :yikes:
 
I don't make a regular practice of it, but when I was selling our Sundowner I did fly from the right seat with the prospective buyer in the left. I had practiced that the day before and it was a non-issue.

evapilotaz said:
My CFI tells me to not use the brakes. Ground speed is manage by Throttle. On landing Roll out yank up elevator if you are running out of runway to create drag.
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I hope that habit doesn't stick when you fly something bigger, or into a short field, or with strong winds. :hairraise:
 
Ron Levy said:
The USAF considered that a big deal for the F-111, and put limitations on formation operations beyond 2-ship without a rated pilot in the right seat for flying on the left wing. OTOH, the Navy didn't set any restrictions at all on cross-cockpit formation work for A-6's, where only the left seat had flight controls and we did 4-ship formation from both sides of lead all the time. Personally, I got pretty good at formation flying from the right seat on either wing in the F-111, and am equally happy as #4 on the end of an echelon from either seat on either wing in the Grummans in which I fly formation these days.
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Ron, was there noticeable cabin width and visibility differences between the F-111 (a kick-ass looking aircraft by the way) and the A-6?
 
I fly from the right seat whenever I'm solo. I've gotten so use to it while being a CFI, it's odd flying from the left. The only aircraft I'll fly on the left is the twin as it only has brakes on that side.

It took some getting use to flying IFR from the right. You learn real quick how to deal with parallax.
 
nddons said:
Ron, was there noticeable cabin width and visibility differences between the F-111 (a kick-ass looking aircraft by the way) and the A-6?
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Cabin width? No. Visibility? Yes -- just look at them and you'll see. But based on flying formation in the F-111 from the right seat on both sides, I never thought it was enough to justify the Air Force's position on the matter.
 
I don't recommend soloing from the right seat if you've never done so before. Y'all are making it sound easy but it took me at least several flights before I could land on the centerline, and without a side load. Heck I had trouble taking off on the centerline too!
 
evapilotaz said:
My CFI tells me to not use the brakes. Ground speed is manage by Throttle. On landing Roll out yank up elevator if you are running out of runway to create drag.
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Unless you are flying an antique with brake linings made of unobtanium, no reason for this.
 
I actually just watched a video from m0a.com today where he films in the cockpit and I noticed he was in the right seat, but alone in the airplane. Not sure why the right seat would be better for filming, but he's out of Florida as well...maybe you saw him?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
For the first time flying right seat, did you guys fly solo/with passengers or with an instructor?
 
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