Sitting Pretty (determining proper seat height)

AggieMike88

AggieMike88

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The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
I've seen a few posts in a few threads on landing that comment on height of the pilot's seat can affect how you view the landing environemnt. These same comments had suggestions that the proper seat height adjustment might improve your landings.

Can someone provide some tips on determining where my proper height should be in relation to useful reference points like the front of the cowl, glareshield, spinner, etc?
 
Not an instructor, but I would think the most important thing would be consistency. Use the same setting each time so your view down the runway on landing is the same.
 
Ghery said:
Not an instructor, but I would think the most important thing would be consistency. Use the same setting each time so your view down the runway on landing is the same.
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Which is part of what I'm wanting to figure out.

Current aircraft I use is a rental, but it feels like no one changes the height setting (Warror III). Getting the right height of cushion is doable. But I want to learn how to determine the amount of height needed.
 
This is really aircraft dependent. I sit all the way low in the Mooney and raised almost all the way up in the Phenom. Can you upload a picture of your current view in the seat position you fly with now?
 
I think I found the problem... his warrior III "cockpit" is actually mom and dad's basement.

Just kidding :)
 

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I've generally gotten used to setting the seat height so I can just barely see the front of the cowl over the glareshield (Warrior and 172). Of course - half the rentals I've flown don't have a working seat height adjustment...
 
I put the horizon about a fist's height above the panel. Current airplane has a couple balls you line up but I just tested the fist height method and it turns out the same. Obviously this does not work for taildraggers...
 
AggieMike88 said:
Can someone provide some tips on determining where my proper height should be in relation to useful reference points like the front of the cowl, glareshield, spinner, etc?
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My advice is to make sure you can see the top of the cowling.

The Warrior III has a very high instrument panel. When I flew one, I always raised the seat all the way, even though I'm tall.
 
@jason, unable until next week, but will try to remember to snap a pic with the camera at eye level.

@Renjamin, if you're going to do the peeping Tom thing, I would think you'd want a more interesting subject... Unless your into nerdy guys....
 
AggieMike88 said:
@jason, unable until next week, but will try to remember to snap a pic with the camera at eye level.
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No worries. Here's a picture a friend of mine took a few years ago in a Warrior. I think that's a good seat position but he is a taller fellow. You can see the first 6" or so of the cowling. I am on the shorter side (5'7") so I have to raise the seat a little higher than he does but I try to have a similar view.

71099839.Df4uJkuF.jpg
 
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I also set the seat height to where I can just see a small section of the cowling, give me a good measureing stick to gauge where the nose is, but that's just the way I was taught. I think somebody mentioned consisency, that's definently the key imo.
 
HPNPilot1200 said:
No worries. Here's a picture a friend of mine took a few years ago in a Warrior. I think that's a good seat position but he is a taller fellow. You can see the first 6" or so of the cowling. I am on the shorter side (5'7") so I have to raise the seat a little higher than he does but I try to have a similar view.

71099839.Df4uJkuF.jpg
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OMG his hands aren't on the controls!!!! 178 seconds to live!!!
 
Everskyward said:
I put the horizon about a fist's height above the panel. Current airplane has a couple balls you line up but I just tested the fist height method and it turns out the same. Obviously this does not work for taildraggers...
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You need 1/2 a fist for a taildragger?
 

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That color screen is in the wrong era. Upon closer inspection, it's a bad photochop.
 
I drive a Warrior, and old one, but it's still a Warrior. I'm 6'1" and have my seat clamped at it's fullest height permanently. It used to creep lower on me, and to replace the gas cylinder was just way too expensive.

That view in the photo on post #10 is probably about perfect as far as what you should see. The top of the cowling just behind the propeller is important for not only landing, but most of the basic maneuvers as well, especially steep turns.

At least it is for me. Charles Lindberg's Spirit of St. Lewis had no forward vision at all, yet he became famous in that thing. So, I think it really depends on the experience of the pilot more than anything else.

John
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Just happened to have a photo of those. Nary a word is wasted in the manual about them.
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I don't remember what the manual said, but my instructors always said, line up the white ball in the middle of the orange one, just like your picture! :D but I really don't think it helped my landings!:mad2:
 
And I thought the three balls meant the airplane was owned by a pawnbroker!

Good picture, and in all seriousness, yes the little white ball should be centered on the big orange ball, and that means you're at a known reference point both fore/aft and vertically.
 
They don't mention them in the PoH because the tech writer assigned the project of writing the chapter...

..."Proper Ball Alignment for Adequate Seating Clearances"...

... was escorted out of the office, for laughing so hard he/she cried, as it was causing unnecessary disruption in the very serious and professional Aviation Engineering department.

When they went to check his/her computer they found the first sentence...

"Improper ball alignment can cause a serious safety issue during initial seat position selection..."
 
Tiger Woods pulled into a country gas station one day to fill up his fuel tank. The owner and the mechanic recognized him and came out to say howdy and shake his hand. Plus since Tiger was driving the brand new SUV from Buick, they wanted to have a closer look at the car.

The mechanic noticed some small wooden sticks with a flare on one end and a point on the other sitting in the catchall tray in the console and asked Tiger what they were as Tiger was settling the bill with the owner.

"These things?" said Tiger as he got in the car and prepared to drive off, "These are what I rest my balls on when I drive." Then he thanked the two guys and departed.

"Them guys at Buick are something else," said the mechanic to the station owner. "They think of every comfort a man could want in a car."

========================================

The information here has been helpful. The fun part was me recently finding the height adjustment on the Warrior III accidently. During cruise on a flight recently, I pulled my right foot back to scratch an itch on my ankle and kicked the height adjustment. My seat went all the way down like an office prankser pushing the leaver on your office chair.

I got it fixed, but it definitely woke me up like a double caffiene shot.
 
denverpilot said:
They don't mention them in the PoH because the tech writer assigned the project of writing the chapter...

..."Proper Ball Alignment for Adequate Seating Clearances"...

... was escorted out of the office, for laughing so hard he/she cried, as it was causing unnecessary disruption in the very serious and professional Aviation Engineering department.

When they went to check his/her computer they found the first sentence...

"Improper ball alignment can cause a serious safety issue during initial seat position selection..."
Click to expand...

Someone sent me a really funny read/joke about the alignment balls a couple of years ago... I wish I could find it again. Anyone??? It was a long letter/memo style and went into quite some detail.
 
I used to have a great TWA checklist/safety bulletin about runaway electric pilot seats. I can't find it.

It had stuff like, "If the seat continues to run without pulling the appropriate breaker, the ball bearings under the seat will jam. If this occurs, the Captain will call for the "Captain's seat, Jammed Balls" checklist and the appropriate response from the Co-Pilot will be, "Captain, Jammed Balls!" while reading off checklist items to the Captain.

It ended with the seat continuing to run away, now in an upward and forward direction, at which time the co-pilot would request a cool towel to place upon the Captain's head until landing since they were emasculated on the control wheel.

I can't do it justice. It was written with perfect callouts and flows. Wish I could find it.
 
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