The International Cessna^® 170 Association

What a difference a few inches makes - ok George, that Texas bragging is going to have to stop. Thought I would sit in the right seat for the first time and do some touch and gos. WOW! Did it ever feel awkward. For me, it seemed more of a change than moving to a different airplane, like renting a Piper for example. Plan on flying often from the right seat in the future, did not realize that one could expand their aviation world sooo much so easy, so that I feel comfortable from either position. Wondering how flight instructors make that transition in the beginning of their careers.

A friend of mine ,Summer Martell Goodwin,is gonna be performing in the daily airshow at the Arlington Fly-in this week. She'll be doing an aerobatics routine in a Cessna 150 Aerobat. After countless hours flight instructing,she'll be flying from the right seat.

Eric

Many aerobatic pilots prefer the throttle on the left and the "stick" in the right hand. It's how most fighter and aerobatic airplanes are designed. When I took Gene Soucy's course it was done in an Avions Mudry CAP-10B (notice the "B", Joe!) and the student (me) sat in the left seat with a throttle installed on the left sidewall, and the instructor (on the right) using the throttle located in the usual location of the lower center panel.
When CFI applicants train for the check-ride, they usually do so entirely from the right seat. One of the challenges is to not only be able to teach the maneuvers, (in what is possibly the worst classroom environment in the world), but to teach them so that the perspective is correctly displayed when viewed from the left seat, while flying from the right. For example, when teaching pylon 8's the left wingtip must appear behind the pylon in order for the left seat student to observe it centered ON the pylon. The reverse occurs when doing them around the opposite pylon.

JOE YOU BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU ARE FLYING THE RIGHT SEAT DURING TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS. GET SOMEONE THAT YOU TRUST TO SIT IN THE LEFT SEAT. PLEASE DONT DING UP YOUR "FLAT WING" WHILE TRYING SOMETHING NOT REALLY THAT EASY TO DO AT FIRST.

EARLY IN MY FLYING EXPERIENCES I CLIMBED UP TO A SAFE ALTITUDE AND "CROSSED OVER" TO THE RIGHT SEAT TO DO STALLS AND SPINS. QUITE A LOT TO RE- LEARN BUT SAFER WAY UP HIGH. YOU DON'T HAVE AS MUCH ROOM FOR ERROR WHEN YOU ARE TAKING OFF OR LANDING. GOOD LUCK BUT BE CAREFUL!

Gary, you are so right. Did not admit earlier, but did not feel comfortable enough on my landing, left the pattern and changed back to the left seat. Did a few touch & gos, thought maybe I was mistaken, flew out and changed seats again - NOPE, not good, low approach only and went out to change back to the left seat. I will have a safety pilot in there at the first.

George it is amazing how many levels of skill there are in this great world of flight. Had never considered the need for the instructor to adjust his perspective from the right so that it looks right for the student, even on landing and lining up on the runway Surely, this abundance of new chanllenges is part of the recipe that makes flying so much fun and so rewarding.

Eric, I've seen single occupant airplanes taking off with the pilot in the right seat and wondered what was going on. They say you really learn alot by being an instructor, sounds like your friend sure has.

I fly part time for a 135 company--Lances and Aztecs. Most of our pilots are also CFIs and several fly all the time from the right seat. We were discussing this one day and one pilot pointed out that with only one door available to the pilot, he wanted to be near it in case of emergency egress. Made sense to me, so now I fly every other leg right side--trying to be ambidextrous or something like that Of course with two doors, that isn't a reason! But it does take some getting used to--haven't done much in the 170 except with another pilot left seat.