Right or left seat?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

I've just noticed, Pilot in charge of a fixed wing sits in the left seat.

Pilot in charge of a helicopter sits in the right seat. Any idea why the
difference?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Fixed wing aircraft are really made in england and japan,
and helicopters are made in the USA
--
**********
shu

"Keith Butcher" <keith.butcher@goesnowherewiththis.blueyonder.co.uk> wrote
in message news:rqJPe.96791$G8.49519@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
> I've just noticed, Pilot in charge of a fixed wing sits in the left seat.
>
> Pilot in charge of a helicopter sits in the right seat. Any idea why the
> difference?
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

"Keith Butcher" <keith.butcher@goesnowherewiththis.blueyonder.co.uk> wrote
in message news:rqJPe.96791$G8.49519@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
> I've just noticed, Pilot in charge of a fixed wing sits in the left seat.
>
> Pilot in charge of a helicopter sits in the right seat. Any idea why the
> difference?

Not all helicopters are seated that way round. I can;t think of any
conflicting examples, but I do believe there are some. I believe it has to
do with which side the tail rotor was traditionally placed. i.e. so the
pilot can look rearwards at engine start to ensure no-ones about to walk
through it. (But Bell places it's tail rotor on the port side, whereas
Eurocopter place it on the starboard, and PICs sit on the right in both, so
maybe I'm wrong..) Perhaps it has to do with the controls. I know it's
common to have dual controls, but it must have been easier in the past to
engineer the collective in the centre. Sitting on the right also means the
pilot is able to adjust panel controls with his left hand without leaning
across his cyclic with it.

Si

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

"Keith Butcher" <keith.butcher@goesnowherewiththis.blueyonder.co.uk>
wrote
in message news:rqJPe.96791$G8.49519@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
> I've just noticed, Pilot in charge of a fixed wing sits in the left seat.
>
> Pilot in charge of a helicopter sits in the right seat. Any idea why the
> difference?

Not always true - at an airshow here recently the police air arm had
several helicopters on display and I noticed that some had the PIC
sitting to the right, some to the left.

An officer standing nearby told me that the US made choppers have
their PICs in the right seat. whereas many European models use the
left.

Since their pilots can fly whatever is available at the time needed,
they have to be trained to fly them from either seat.

-=tom=-

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

In the early 70s I flew from Scotland to an oil rig in the North Sea in a
Sikorsky S61. The captain was in the LH seat.

Iain

"Keith Butcher" <keith.butcher@goesnowherewiththis.blueyonder.co.uk> wrote
in message news:rqJPe.96791$G8.49519@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
> I've just noticed, Pilot in charge of a fixed wing sits in the left seat.
>
> Pilot in charge of a helicopter sits in the right seat. Any idea why the
> difference?
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Hi,

The reason I've heard for the FW pilot in the left seat is that most
traffic patterns are left hand and thus the person sitting in the left
seat has the best view into the pattern. I guess the other way of
putting this is that it makes it harder for the poor copilot!

Take care,

Tom Gibson

Cal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.com

Cal Classic Alco Page: http://www.calclassic.com/alco

Freeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.com



Keith Butcher wrote:
> I've just noticed, Pilot in charge of a fixed wing sits in the left seat.
>
> Pilot in charge of a helicopter sits in the right seat. Any idea why the
> difference?
>
>