Side Stick Flight Controls ??

[billt460]

For those of you who have flown aircraft with dual side stick controls, is there any difficulty in transitioning from the right seat, (right handed stick), to the left seat, (left handed stick)?

We all favor one hand over the other when it comes to writing, swinging a golf club or bat, throwing a ball, shooting, etc. Does this enter into the same equation? Or is such a change more adaptable than the above mentioned?

Sitting in a chair one would think it would be easier to transition, but I would prefer right handed. But that's just me. I write and eat, (hold a pen, fork, and spoon), left handed. But I shoot, throw, swing a bat, and roll a bowling ball right handed.

But if I could choose either seat, I would choose the right seat for the right handed stick. For those of you guys who have flown from both seats, how do these things pan out in the real world?

 

[y_p_w]

I'd hope they'd practice in a simulator a few times. Some pilots say it's not that difficult.

I know if I had to do it now, I'd probably have a few gaffes driving a right-hand drive automatic. But a manual would just be too much initially. I don't think I could manage the clutch and the shifter without some practice in a parking lot.

 

[Astro14]

Well, I have flown side stick from both seats, and if you’ve never done it, well, it takes at least a couple dozen…

minutes in the simulator before you get comfortable.

My left hand is on the yoke in the left seat of any Boeing, so I’ve already flown with my left hand. Thousands of hours of doing so. It’s not a big deal, honestly.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

I prefer holding the stick ( Airbus ) with my right hand since I am right-handed.

I also, much, prefer sitting in the left seat which means I have to use my left hand to fly.

No big deal switching seats though.

 

[Number_35]

I'd hope they'd practice in a simulator a few times. Some pilots say it's not that difficult.

I know if I had to do it now, I'd probably have a few gaffes driving a right-hand drive automatic. But a manual would just be too much initially. I don't think I could manage the clutch and the shifter without some practice in a parking lot.

We lived in New Zealand for a year, and drove on the L with the driver's position on the R.

Our Mazda van had a floor-mounted 5-speed shifter, which I enjoyed. I am strongly left-handed.

We test-drove a Mitsubishi van which had a column-mounted 5-speed shifter. I liked it, but my right-handed wife nixed it.

The pedals (clutch, brake, and accelerator) were arranged L to R, the same as in North America.

 

[Cujet]

 

[y_p_w]

We lived in New Zealand for a year, and drove on the L with the driver's position on the R.

Our Mazda van had a floor-mounted 5-speed shifter, which I enjoyed. I am strongly left-handed.

We test-drove a Mitsubishi van which had a column-mounted 5-speed shifter. I liked it, but my right-handed wife nixed it.

The pedals (clutch, brake, and accelerator) were arranged L to R, the same as in North America.

The big thing for me would be muscle memory where I no longer think about how to coordinate my feet with my hands. It's four different appendages. And I think the same goes with aircraft since there are the rudder pedals. But then again I had to get used to it. Not sure how long it would take to figure it out but of course most people could figure it out. But tossing that in with driving on the left-hand side of the road might be interesting.

As for right/left controls - I think a lot of us played arcade games that were arranged differently. Early Atari games tended to use right-hand joysticks/trackballs with left hand buttons, while Japanese games tended to use left-hand controls and right-hand buttons. But I guess that doesn't typically include coordinating those controls with foot controls.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

The big thing for me would be muscle memory where I no longer think about how to coordinate my feet with my hands. It's four different appendages. And I think the same goes with aircraft since there are the rudder pedals. But then again I had to get used to it. Not sure how long it would take to figure it out but of course most people could figure it out. But tossing that in with driving on the left-hand side of the road might be interesting.

As for right/left controls - I think a lot of us played arcade games that were arranged differently. Early Atari games tended to use right-hand joysticks/trackballs with left hand buttons, while Japanese games tended to use left-hand controls and right-hand buttons. But I guess that doesn't typically include coordinating those controls with foot controls.

There is some muscle memory involved.