to rest or not to rest

[lightoutandarmed]

...'just want the opinion of the experts.
i was always told to use the arm rests in my last two jobs. some of the old timers even called it a good habit. the rational being that you don't tire your arms and fly using your wrists. now i'm being told by my new airline (or by some of the ip's) that it a bad habit. and that it'll affect controlablity especially when landing with high cross winds.

comments please.

thanks

[Notso Fantastic]

All I can think from the benefit of 17,000 hours is......use arm rests if you want to, and don't use them if you don't want to. It makes no difference! As for the strong crosswind case, probably best not to use them, but try out full and free movement of the controls on the ground to be sure you are unimpeded. but don't let removing the arm rests before a windy crosswind landing put you in a mind frame of making over large control inputs!
A big problem in aviation, as well as in many other areas, is people making up rules to suit themselves or their opinions as they go along- and expecting you to conform. Sort of 'shoot from the hip' rule making, and try and pretend 'it's official'. Sometimes it's easier just to go along with it and nod your head politely! Or if you strongly disagree, you must ask to see it in the manual.

[FlapsOne]

Notso Fantastic

What an excellent reply sir!

My thoughts exactly.

[Notso Fantastic]

Thank you. Common sense rules in aviation as much as anywhere else. Is it me or does it seem particularly bad now that people quote 'rules' at you more than ever now? Rules that have been made up to suit themselves......'you can't drive down there Sir' (why?). 'You have to do it this way' (why?). 'You must/must not use your arm rest' (really?). 'Nail clippers! You must be a terrorist!' (Oh yeah?) Maybe it's just especially bad in British aviation at the moment, but everywhere you look there are semi-literate, totally ignorant jobsworths who have the power to screw you around on a whim because they are not meant to be questioned (and they know it!). Retirement gets closer! The idiots spent 20 minutes going through everything in my carry-on last month.....a laptop, laptop accessories (adaptor, modem lead, modem), digital camera (& charger), movie camera (& bag, charger, leads, spare tapes, mini tripod, battery, computer cables).......and.......they got me.......a jewellers screwdriver and a mini penknife (1 inch long)! So this dork tells me off ("you can't carry THAT!") and confiscates them. IF I wanted to get nasty, I wouldn't have bothered with those- a broken wine bottle is much better! But you smile at them and say 'hot dickety you sure got me there!'
(Sorry- been a long day)

[Captain Stable]

I tend to have my left armrest down and the right one up :hmm:

[Notso Fantastic]

That's very bad and you mustn't do it. The left one should be up and the right down in the left seat. Don't ask why, just do it !

[Burger Thing]

Notso Fantastic That is basically correct, but only for the Northern Hemisphere. As soon as you cross the equator southwards, the left one should come down and the right one goes up!:p

[LEM]

Totally agree with Notso.
I always use armrests, at an angle slightly lower than what I would use at home, so I get a slightly forward bent back.
That posture allows you to rest your arms retaining full freedom of movement if necessary and God, today jets are not like the DC3 (which I've flown in the Dark Continent, btw...)

LEM :ok:

[Northern Highflyer]

Isn't it more difficult to fill in the crossword with the rests down ? :ooh:

[swish266]

Modern jets can be flown by the tips of your fingers. Resting your arms helps keep fingertip sensitivity up. (Buls--t) I just can't do it without them!
Some 3rd generation jets like B727 with quite swept wings used to take almost full deflection to get them rolling. Guess back then you would have found the arm rest a bit in the way...

[Anthony Carn]

Armrests do seem to facilitate lighter and more consistent inputs using wrist movements. Finger tips are indeed good. On the other....err....hand (?) armrests also provided something to lever against when the need arises. They help a lot if your wrists become tired. Changing hands is, of course, a good way to share the workload.

Personally, mine's always up for take-off and landing (it's the excitement, I think), but it varies a lot for other situations.

eg - Up for hostie refreshment visits, to avoid making a mess. Up in turbulence (similar to top-deck bus rides, I guess).

I certainly don't think that Management should dictate in this respect, despite their proven record as experts in the skills involved.

[fruitbatflyer]

A simple solution to satisfy the most anally-retentive instructor pilots. Wire the armrests into the landing gear circuit, so's they extend with the gear up and retract with the gear down. Of course appropriate checklists and MELs needed for runaway armrests, armrests out of sequence, armrest overload (fatsos take note...)

[GlueBall]

...Although it is self evident that with armrests in the up position it would be easier and faster to vacate the seat in case of an emergency on the ground.

[jungly]

On the Airbus..... always use your armrest.....'cos there is nothing else to do with your arm.
Its that pesky tray table that gets in the way....you could spill your breakfast in a crosswind landing!

[L337]

The angle of the armrest should vary with the sine of the latitude.

[quarter hr pack]

I've actually heard that the rate of change of your armrest angle should be roughly five times your groundspeed.