Flying from Right Seat

AggieMike88

AggieMike88

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The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
I'd like to hear from our CFI's what was involved with learning to safely fly from the right seat.

How much of a shift in thinking and muscle memory was it? What challenges did you face in the transition?
 
While I'm not a CFI, I do fly right seat fairly often. I taught myself by just switching seats during cruise to get used to the new view and looking at gauges. After getting comfortable doing that, I started doing approaches lower and lower, until I was comfortable landing. I've done it enough now that I feel perfectly comfortable flying right-seat with non-pilots in the left. Of course, this is all VFR tho. If I were on a cross-country, and not just a recreational flight, I would definitely fly left. If was definitely different the first few times trying to ignore everything you know about the sight picture and such, but after a few hours, you'll have it down.
 
I'm curious about this as well.

And how much does it depend on aircraft type? I've heard 177s are quite different on the right due to the asymmetrical panel.

And all the gauges seem to be in the wrong place....
 
The flying is simply a matter of doing it with the other hand. Cockpit logistics are more difficult since a lot of stuff on the far left that is within easy reach of the pilot seat is difficult to reach from the right side. Flight instruments and visual sight picture over the cowl are different as well.

AggieMike88 said:
I'd like to hear from our CFI's what was involved with learning to safely fly from the right seat.

How much of a shift in thinking and muscle memory was it? What challenges did you face in the transition?
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I've flown my Arrow a few times from the right seat. Other the instruments being out of direct view and the fact that the left hand is doing all the things the right hand did, it was no big deal. Doing the yoke with the right hand is easy. Doing the radios, etc... with the left hand is a little more difficult for me. Landing the first time was a little uneasy but you get used to it real quick.
 
It's fairly straightforward... Go up with a pilot friend in the left seat, you fly from the right and get used to the view and using your hands opposite from the norm. 5 hrs easy

Why are you pondering this? Just curious.
 
Flying from the right seat was fairly natural for me, probably because as a kid, I flew right seat with my dad alot so the yoke in my right hand was not an alien feeling, plus I had flown a few tandem seat planes with a stick and throttle on the left.

Overall a non-event for me - biggest difference was the feel/amount of pressure to apply in the flare which took one flight and a few landings to get down to where I was making landings from the right as smooth as the left.

Now, instrument flying from the right....well, first time flying an approach from the right I was all over the place - the feel is very different because you are having to look off to the left side of the panel while trying to fly straight. That took a little more getting used to.
 
Don't be glued to the left seat. Getting right seat is not an issue at all. Got for it. You'll figure it out quick. ;)
 
I think you will find that it really comes almost natural and you will fly just fine from the other seat. Feels a bit odd.

The only minor problem I encountered and have seen others do the same is landing a bit crooked. Looks strait and then you feel a slight side load. Just takes a little while for the sight picture to come in.
 
Without an authorized instructor in the other seat sitting on his/her/it's hands you will crash into a school for handicapped children and your insurance will be void.

But, beyond that, it's no big deal. The bigest thing I noticed was that the left pedal felt spongy. And I tend to drift to the right on landing.

(In the left seat it's the right pedal that is soft but I am used to it and don't even notice.)
 
New sight picture on landing and the obvious fact that the instruments are no longer directly in front of you. Most (myself included) side loaded the heck out of the landing gear on those first few landings, but it becomes just as natural as the left seat after a bit of practice.
 
Slightly different sight picture, you get a little parallax on the instruments, but nothing that takes much time to get used to.
 
Agree with the sight picture on landing as the biggest adjustment...you'll tend to coming a bit cockeyed the first few times. Once you get that figured out, it's not a big deal.
 
Jeanie said:
Why are you pondering this? Just curious.
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I was daydreaming.

Sorta thinking what it might mean to me on a personal level to have my CFI and provide instruction and how it would be fun one day to take the folks I talk to up on a discovery style of flight.

Many steps to get to that stage, I know. But it's something to look forward to one day.
 
As I recall, I got enough right-seat time during my CFI training to make the transition to student training fairly easy....we're talking 1968 here, so don't pin me down.

Bob Gardner
 
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The hardest thing for me is seeing the airspeed indicator. It's on the far far left of the airplane. I'm sure I could takeoff no problem but it'd be adjusting speeds for landing and whatnot where I normally glance at the ASI. Since my other half is also a pilot, we've started talking about getting another ASI and attitude indicator to go in the empty spots on the right side of the airplane.
 
So far, two flights in a 177RG, before I was comfortable. Not a big deal, except being a big PITA to see all the engine gauges... Even the airspeed can be glanced at, if needed.

First flight i was heaving on the right aileron, and the first half dozen landings sucked something awefull....
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Without an authorized instructor in the other seat sitting on his/her/it's hands you will crash into a school for handicapped children and your insurance will be void.

But, beyond that, it's no big deal. The bigest thing I noticed was that the left pedal felt spongy. And I tend to drift to the right on landing.

(In the left seat it's the right pedal that is soft but I am used to it and don't even notice.)
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I don't think I've seen anything about which seat you have to sit in to be PIC in any insurance policy.
 
Try flying in the left seat with a left hand stick in your right hand. Did that once in a C-17 and it took a few seconds to figure out why all the buttons were in the wrong place and the stick didn't fit my hand. :lol:

I talked to a couple of CFI's about how they fly from the RH seat and they generally told me that for VFR, they go more by the sight picture out the windscreen than the gauges with an occasional check which would be the case if I ever flew "over there".

Chers
 
I flew a Cub and some Taylorcraft prior to the transition. That meant using the left hand to work the throttle and right with the stick, so that bit of "feel" was out of the way. It took a few hours before the landings seemed more natural and less of a challenge, but it wasn't too bad.

Ryan
 
I never flew right seat until after my single-multi commerical, instrument and complex was done. In the left seat I felt like a fire breathing dragon. Nothing could be easier. After that I flew right seat in a Piper Archer and for heavens sake I felt like I'd never flew a plane before. I'm left handed to start with so I thought reaching over and applying power and adjusting radios and what not would be a breeze, not even close. It literally felt like I was a new pilot all over again, I kept smacking myself. Landing was a little awkward, plane floated for a tiny bit longer than usual but landings were smooth. I felt like a complete moron but after a while it becomes like second nature after the motor skills get all worked out :)
 
yakdriver said:
I don't think I've seen anything about which seat you have to sit in to be PIC in any insurance policy.
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It's in ours... But vaguely worded. Something about PIC operating from the "normal" operating position.

I always joke that its the "anti-back-seat" clause. Mainly because the right seat is the normal operating position for some folks. ;)
 
I flew right seat in a low wing (I fly only Cessnas) and was shocked the pilot let me take off and land. Later he said he was a 747 pilot so not much scared him anymore.

Was it sloppy? Yes. Did it work out OK? Yes.
 
Yeah as John said if you're a renter you'll need to read the renters's agreement, and I might add that you'd want to clarify with the FBO any vague terms. I would bet they use the term "normal position" to cover different types of aircraft in their fleet. It means Left Seat, except in aircraft with tandem seating (Cub, Stearman, Pitts, etc.) then it would mean Rear Seat. For helicopters it would mean Right Seat.
All the FBOs I know of in my area state specifically that the renter must fly left seat and land only on paved surfaces.
For your purposes I'm sure you'll be OK if a CFI flies with you, but it's best to ask the FBO.
 
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