Flying from the right seat as a Private Pilot.

Make sure you can see the instruments well.
I first flew right seat in a Lance. The ASI is on left side of the left yoke. LONG ways over there. No right sided instruments. Ended up having the pilot in the left seat call out airspeed as I could not see it well and fly at the same time.
 
Code90 said:
Make sure you can see the instruments well.
I first flew right seat in a Lance. The ASI is on left side of the left yoke. LONG ways over there. No right sided instruments. Ended up having the pilot in the left seat call out airspeed as I could not see it well and fly at the same time.
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Looong ways over there??? In a Lance?? Lol!! Don't you guys basically rub shoulders?

Try it once with a CFI in the left. See how you feel.
 
Brad Z said:
Are ya'll who are checking yourselves out in the opposite seat going up and doing air work too...slow flight, stalls, etc.? Sure, landings feel different, but so do stalls, emergency flows, etc. if you grab the mixture rather than the throttle, is someone going to catch you? Same with gear versus flaps. Like I said, take an instructor with you, get comfortable, and walk away with a flight review too.
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I didn't ever feel maneuvering was too hard or different from left seat to right seat. I have however worked with enough CFI students to notice that there are definitely some adjustments needed in the sight picture during maneuvering. It seems like steep turns often need some practice from the right seat, they'll over bank one way and under bank the other way, primarily due to the way they see the attitude indicator.

Most of the guys I've worked with seem to pick up landing from the right seat fairly quickly but some people have a bit of trouble with depth perception and need a little work.

Overall, flying right seat isn't hard but I'd suggest having someone sit in the left seat who knows how to fly the plane to be a safety net for the first few takeoffs and landings. An instructor would probably be the best.
 
Just flying right seat you can do what I used to do. I would trim out the 152 and 172 while in flight. I would switch seats. Gave me a great perspective and feel of doing it from the right seat. I didn't attemp landing or takeoff until I did have someone with me.
 
TommyG said:
Just flying right seat you can do what I used to do. I would trim out the 152 and 172 while in flight. I would switch seats. Gave me a great perspective and feel of doing it from the right seat. I didn't attemp landing or takeoff until I did have someone with me.
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You switched seats in flight???
 
TommyG said:
Just flying right seat you can do what I used to do. I would trim out the 152 and 172 while in flight. I would switch seats. Gave me a great perspective and feel of doing it from the right seat. I didn't attemp landing or takeoff until I did have someone with me.
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You do realize (not that I care) that you are admitting to breaking FAR on the net... Again, I don't give a hoot.
 
TommyG said:
And which FAR would that be???
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Shucks... I'm terrible at FAR's. Just thought there was something about a pilot at his station with a seatbelt fastened unless needed to get up for physiological needs.

But... Make no mistake. I have been wrong before.
 
Kritchlow said:
Shucks... I'm terrible at FAR's. Just thought there was something about a pilot at his station with a seatbelt fastened unless needed to get up for physiological needs.

But... Make no mistake. I have been wrong before.
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Good you know the rules. I'm sure you have NEVER broken any FARs.
 
Kritchlow said:
Shucks... I'm terrible at FAR's. Just thought there was something about a pilot at his station with a seatbelt fastened unless needed to get up for physiological needs.

But... Make no mistake. I have been wrong before.
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The question in my mind is, when a crewmember is out of his seat, but can still reach the controls, is he at his station or absent from it?

Here is the regulation, by the way:

§91.105 Flight crewmembers at stations.

(a) During takeoff and landing, and while en route, each required flight crewmember shall—

(1) Be at the crewmember station unless the absence is necessary to perform duties in connection with the operation of the aircraft or in connection with physiological needs; and

(2) Keep the safety belt fastened while at the crewmember station.

(b) Each required flight crewmember of a U.S.-registered civil aircraft shall, during takeoff and landing, keep his or her shoulder harness fastened while at his or her assigned duty station. This paragraph does not apply if—

(1) The seat at the crewmember's station is not equipped with a shoulder harness; or

(2) The crewmember would be unable to perform required duties with the shoulder harness fastened.​
 
Palmpilot said:
The question in my mind is, when a crewmember is out of his seat, but can still reach the controls, is he at his station or absent from it?

Here is the regulation, by the way:

§91.105 Flight crewmembers at stations.

(a) During takeoff and landing, and while en route, each required flight crewmember shall—

(1) Be at the crewmember station unless the absence is necessary to perform duties in connection with the operation of the aircraft or in connection with physiological needs; and

(2) Keep the safety belt fastened while at the crewmember station.

(b) Each required flight crewmember of a U.S.-registered civil aircraft shall, during takeoff and landing, keep his or her shoulder harness fastened while at his or her assigned duty station. This paragraph does not apply if—

(1) The seat at the crewmember's station is not equipped with a shoulder harness; or

(2) The crewmember would be unable to perform required duties with the shoulder harness fastened.​
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Which still leaves the seatbelt thing for discussion.

I shouldn't have said anything, as this really doesn't matter to me. That said, it is a fun banter.
 
There *was* a fatal accident made by a mid-flight seat change a while back, though I didn't catch the reason or read the report. Wouldn't do it in my plane.

Helpful thread. I'm headed for my CFI ticket soon and will be moving over. I've got 2 right seat hours and found it very disorienting. I'm planning on going up with a CFI first then taking several pilot friends before I take non-pilots up in the left seat as PIC.
 
whereisrandall said:
There *was* a fatal accident made by a mid-flight seat change a while back, though I didn't catch the reason or read the report. Wouldn't do it in my plane.

Helpful thread. I'm headed for my CFI ticket soon and will be moving over. I've got 2 right seat hours and found it very disorienting. I'm planning on going up with a CFI first then taking several pilot friends before I take non-pilots up in the left seat as PIC.
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It is indeed disorientating, and you will be competent by the time you do your CFI ride.

You will be a complete MASTER after 500 hours dual given.
 
whereisrandall said:
There *was* a fatal accident made by a mid-flight seat change a while back, though I didn't catch the reason or read the report. Wouldn't do it in my plane.

Helpful thread. I'm headed for my CFI ticket soon and will be moving over. I've got 2 right seat hours and found it very disorienting. I'm planning on going up with a CFI first then taking several pilot friends before I take non-pilots up in the left seat as PIC.
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You get used to it. The seat change wasn't a problem for me. It was the talking and explaining while I demonstrate manuevers and landings.
 
All of my commercial students get experience learning to fly from the right seat. The learning curve varies from student to student.

I started flying right seat during instrument training. My partner and I would go out to do approaches and one would do two or three from the left seat and then pass the foggles over to the guy I the right seat. Flying from the right seat became pretty much natural. You just learn to adjust for the different sight picture.

That said, no one should ever attempt to just go out and try to fly from the right seat without either another competent pilot or a CFI occupying the left seat.
 
MikeELP said:
That said, no one should ever attempt to just go out and try to fly from the right seat without either another competent pilot or a CFI occupying the left seat.
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Nah, doesn't hurt a dang thing to give it a go. Most of you are making this way too difficult. Sure try it w/ another pilot in the other seat if you're wary, not saying be unsafe. It's just not that difficult.
 
Kritchlow said:
Which still leaves the seatbelt thing for discussion.

I shouldn't have said anything, as this really doesn't matter to me. That said, it is a fun banter.
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The Little John only worked from the right seat - Now you're legal.
 
mscard88 said:
Nah, doesn't hurt a dang thing to give it a go. Most of you are making this way too difficult. Sure try it w/ another pilot in the other seat if you're wary, not saying be unsafe. It's just not that difficult.
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Ever try to start a Bonanza from the right seat?
 
I'm pretty sure that you will end up crashing into a school for children of personal injury attorneys.


I've never found it difficult, but I've never tried it in an airplane with one of those nosewheel things - those always seem to be pretty tricky.
 
jordane93 said:
You get used to it. The seat change wasn't a problem for me. It was the talking and explaining while I demonstrate manuevers and landings.
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I've been practicing talking through maneuvers for a while now, getting in the groove, and feel pretty good about that. As a low-time student, I also started early in training listening to my local class C tower/approach and responding to the controllers mentally - doing what I could to get up to speed.

I've spoken with two inspectors from different FSDOs trying to wrap my head around what to expect on the CFI ride. I think I've mostly got it, just want to get some good practice correcting real-world mistakes before I take the inspector for a plane ride. Any advice most welcome.
 
I just recently starting flying from the right seat. My first attempt was a semi-controlled crash in a Cardinal RG with my CFI. Besides the different site picture our Cardinal has split level panel, with the left panel being much higher the right. So besides the normal left/right confusion, this split panel caused me to flair way too high.

It was a huge blow to my ego, because I've always taken a lot of pride in being able to consistently make nice landings in that airplane.

My right seat landing have improved to the point of being usually survivable, but I'm still working on them.
 
whereisrandall said:
I've been practicing talking through maneuvers for a while now, getting in the groove, and feel pretty good about that. As a low-time student, I also started early in training listening to my local class C tower/approach and responding to the controllers mentally - doing what I could to get up to speed.

I've spoken with two inspectors from different FSDOs trying to wrap my head around what to expect on the CFI ride. I think I've mostly got it, just want to get some good practice correcting real-world mistakes before I take the inspector for a plane ride. Any advice most welcome.
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Anything in the PTS is fair game. Know endorsements cold, know constant speed prop and landing gear cold, and be prepared to explain any maneuver. It's a very tough check ride but, just like any other rating, if you put the time in you'll pass. For the oral, I explained things very simple. If the examiner wanted more, he would tell me. Don't get too complex in the beginning. My examiner would say something like, "ok I'm a student pilot, explain the electrical system to me." Then he would be a commercial student. "Explain how the prop and landing gear works." Always know the audience and the the experience level.
 
JimNtexas said:
I just recently starting flying from the right seat. My first attempt was a semi-controlled crash in a Cardinal RG with my CFI.
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As it tured out, the landings themselves were not the biggest issue for me. Instead it was typified by my instructor's "No, the OTHER throttle" as I reduced power by pulling on the mixture knob :yikes:,
 
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