Thread: Basic question
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Old February 13th 09, 04:30 PM posted to rec.aviation.homebuilt
bildan
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Default Basic question

On Feb 13, 7:39*am, R wrote:
wrote:
As I have only ever flown Cessnas, I have a basic question. *When
flying a stick plane like an RV-7. *What hand do people fly with? … *If I have to learn to use the left
hand I will.


Thanks


Barry


Learn to fly using either hand on the yoke or stick.
There are very few reasons to use two hands on the yoke or stick, if,
ever, in most applications.
For most operations only one hand is ever needed to manipulate the
control yoke or stick, and usually only a couple of fingers at that,
leaving the other hand free for the throttle and radios, or, switches
and other adjustments.
If you ever advance to an actual airplanes you will find that various
combinations are required according to the configuration of the
particular airplane you are in, or, the particular seat you may be in.
Often times, no hand, is required on the control yoke or stick and you
may be able to use just a single fingertip to effectively apply the
desired inputs.
Learn to lightly manipulate or caress the controls with small and
gradual inputs.

Go take a flying lesson in a real airplane.


Of course, learn to fly with either hand. Real pilots do.

Just to relate my experience as a flight instructor in gliders which
all have control sticks - many pilots transitioning to gliders from
yoke airplanes have trouble with the stick. It took me awhile to
understand what was giving them problems.

The big thing seems to be that the important fiddly stuff is on the
left side of the cockpit in stick equipped aircraft but on the right
in control yoke aircraft.

I don't know why it should be but it seems pilots trained in stick
equipped aircraft have less trouble transitioning to control yokes
than the other way around.

In any event, once I point this out, and the pilot thinks about it,
the problem seems to go away. Some will use both hands on the stick
with their left on top so it can release the stick when reaching for a
left side control leaving the right on the stick.