Left-handed + left seat + IFR = tangled arms

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NJFlyingDreams

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NJFlyingDreams
Hey, folks, I'm the middle of instrument training, and I'm encountering a bit of an odd problem that I assume others have already figured out. I'm left-handed -- or at least, I write left-handed -- and I'm flying in the left seat of a C172. When I need to talk to ATC and copy instructions, I end up having to rearrange my arms so that my right hand is on the yoke, activating the mic on the left handle of the yoke, while my left hand copies on my kneeboard. Nothing left to handle the throttle, and I'm constantly re-arranging my hands every time I need to deal with copying anything, and it always feels like the process puts me at risk of getting behind the plane. Any suggestions for managing this situation more smoothly?
 
Sounds like you’re trying to do too many things at once. The word “standby” can be your friend, as is prioritizing things in the cockpit.

If ATC is giving me instructions I need to copy down, I want to be stable, in a trimmed condition, not working the yoke, PTT, and throttle simultaneously.

If the person in the right seat is injecting this stuff to drive task saturation, “standby” also works.
 
I am left handed and I used a portable mic button, one of those that strap on the yoke with velcro, and put it on the right side. That helped to keep my left hand free for writting while using my right hand for the mic.
 
I write with my left hand. When I'm writing a clearance or such, I'm not doing anything else...except flying with my right hand on the yoke (which should be easy with a properly trimmed aircraft). If I'm turning, or adjusting throttles, or any such things, I'm not ready to copy.

I do have a slight advantage in that I'm ambidextrous... sort of
 
It's not that I'm necessarily doing five things at once -- plane is trimmed, not needing to adjust throttle, etc. -- it's just the switching hands, getting and putting the pen away, keying mic, etc. feels really clunky right now. Trying to make it all a little smoother. Portable mic button is a nice touch, or maybe I'll figure out some better leash for my pen so I can move from mic to pen while keeping right hand fixed. Thanks!
 
I always have the pen/pencil in my lefthand. I don't have to fumble finding it. And holding a pencil helps prevent the DEATHGRIP on the yoke.
 
Bob Noel said:
I always have the pen/pencil in my lefthand. I don't have to fumble finding it. And holding a pencil helps prevent the DEATHGRIP on the yoke.
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Good point. I'll give it a shot. Always felt like I had to keep it out of my hands while using the yoke, never occurred to me to keep it in there.
 
If the aircraft is reasonably well rigged and trimmed you could likely just let go of the control wheel and write whatever note you need to, while keeping an eye on things to make sure you’re not drifting off your heading or altitude. Less control input is often better, and you should be using the built in stability of the aircraft to your advantage.

I’ve never found it particularly hard to fit writing with my left hand into all the necessary tasks. Sometimes I’ll reach across the control wheel to key the mic with my right hand if needed.
 
NJFlyingDreams said:
It's not that I'm necessarily doing five things at once -- plane is trimmed, not needing to adjust throttle, etc. -- it's just the switching hands, getting and putting the pen away, keying mic, etc. feels really clunky right now. Trying to make it all a little smoother. Portable mic button is a nice touch, or maybe I'll figure out some better leash for my pen so I can move from mic to pen while keeping right hand fixed. Thanks!
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It will smooth out. It is pretty much universal for those in the early stages of instrument training to feel rushed almost 100% of the time. Right handed or left. There are a variety of reasons - the nature of the training environment; the distraction of things being new and not completely understood; the learned (and perishable) skill of always looking ahead to what's next. When I'm working with a pilot who is having difficulty, most of what I do is help them learn how to slow down and do less.

Do less example: Most of us have a tendency when distracted to pressure the yoke in some direction. The direction varies but the result is the same - we tune a radio and when we look back, we are 15° off our course. If we actually let go of the yoke (do less) while tuning the radio, we'd probably find the airplane is doing better without us. Will it go of course or altitude. Sure. But even in turbulence, not as badly as us..
 
Bob Noel said:
I always have the pen/pencil in my lefthand. I don't have to fumble finding it. And holding a pencil helps prevent the DEATHGRIP on the yoke.
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Yeah, lefty here, too.

additionally, I prefer really fat pens with silicone grips or pencils with those triangular silicone slip-on fingertip cushions. Anything that will help hold the pencil in the webbing between forefinger & thumb. That keeps the pen from dropping onto the floor—-sorta. (Keep a spare close by). Also, it doesn’t have to be your thumb on the PTT button. In this arrangement, with my bottom 3 finger tips & thumb on the yoke, pen tucked in the webbing of my thumb, the index finger keys the mike.

also, i suspect, you will eventually begin to trust your memory more as you get experience. I’d hang out on CD frequencies & practice. All FAA communications have a format & rhythm that make instructions standardized & predictable. Learn to trust that predictability.
 
If you are writing, you should be listening, not talking on the radio.

I have a similar issue with a stick. I am right handed, so need to switch hands to write things. But when I am writing, I am listening and writing and keeping the plane reasonably level.
 
NJFlyingDreams said:
Good point. I'll give it a shot. Always felt like I had to keep it out of my hands while using the yoke, never occurred to me to keep it in there.
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I too am left-handed, and just permanently keep a pen/pencil in my hand - try it - was life changing decades ago when I saw someone else do it.
 
and another thing... at least with my airplane I could use the rudder to keep the airplane from deviating too much while I write...
 
S l o w. D o w n. I know you feel as though this isn’t the issue, but trust me, it is.

Slow to the point it feels good to you. You WILL develop a good system of hand placement in that context. You will then start speeding back up to WAY faster than you EVER thought possible.

And YOU, and ONLY YOU decide on the tempo of operations in your cockpit.

I did this once on ground control AT JFK intl. Yep, in my very best southern accent (I’m a yankee, never mind that) I told the ground controller to say again about three times. On the third one, I flatly told him I was going go KEEP SAYING “say again” until he slowed down enough for me to understand.

LAZERS came out of my capt’n’s eyes! Ha! Could have heard a pin drop on freq. The controller, who had been yelling at EVERYONE, finally keyed the mic with a gentle giggle. He said “you’re right. I’m sorry. …” and gave me legible taxi instructions. It defused the entire situation which was panic and chaos…

The point is, you DON’T have time to do it again in aviation, it’s FAR better (safer and faster) to get it right the first time. Do that by slowing down until it’s comfortable.
 
If your airplane has autopilot it is your best friend in these situations. Like others have said telling ATC to standby is always a good option. When I fly I typically do not write frequency changes down. When there are changes in my route it is usually prefaced with call when ready to copy. I will put the plane on autopilot (as I prefer to hand fly), and then get pad and pencil to copy. I am right-handed but copying the new route will require me taking my eyes off the instruments and being on autopilot makes it unlikely the plane will deviate.
 
Lefty here too. I used to keep the pen or pencil in my left hand while flying. I could do 2 hours or more with a pencil in my left hand and not even notice it. Now I hang on my shirt collar. I agree with others that say to let go of the yoke and write the clearance. No shame in asking atc to repeat something. Or standby. I used to mess up my heading or pitch or both trying to juggle like that.

Edit to add: I don't know if it is just me but when you leave your hand on the yoke to do some other tasks and deviate when you return to your scan, the recovery seems tougher or more disorienting than if you let go of the yoke for that moment and returned to the scan.
 
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There's also the rubberband trick to keep the pencil on your hand, though, I never tried it.
 
Bob Noel said:
I'm not doing anything else...except flying with my right hand on the yoke (which should be easy with a properly trimmed aircraft). If I'm turning, or adjusting throttles, or any such things, I'm not ready to copy.
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:yeahthat:
If you are doing anything besides a bit of correction perhaps with the rudder pedals to keep the wings level and maybe a slight adjustment of the trim along with you frequent scan, you aren't ready to copy or are still spending to much effort trying to fly the airplane and need to practice trimming it out better. Much of my instrument flying I am not touching the yoke at all unless changing state, i.e. starting, stopping turns, and minor altitude/attitude corrections.

Brian
CFII
 
If you have good visibility of, and control of, the instruments, there’s no rule or law that requires you to be in left seat. If it works better for you, sit in the right seat.
 
murphey said:
If you have good visibility of, and control of, the instruments, there’s no rule or law that requires you to be in left seat. If it works better for you, sit in the right seat.
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Good idea, but not many of the planes I have been in have instruments set up for the right seater to do a quick and thorough scan of the instruments.
 
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