pandemonium revisited
Right, left, center--there's no reason for choices, any more than for CCW vs CW rotation main rotor.
Similarly for f/w; for the general aviation fleet, the FAA does not designate one side or the other as PIC or SIC, rather the left-right is resolved by the LOCATION of the individual designated as PIC, he can sit either side.
R22's, particularly, have a placard saying Right Seat Solo: the factory has made the decision for us, going beyond FAA policy but, since they put that placard up, the FAA subsequently backs it as mandatory. (DUMB placard--all that's needed really is intelligent use of W&B to place ballast right seat--maybe 80#--sufficient to offset L main tank, pilot light-or-heavy then would be OK in left seat solo. Then we'd have more operational flexibility for special missions. Except for the placard, requiring an act of congress to fly left seat solo.)
Why so many helicopters right seat command? Rumor I had heard (no substantiation available) was the the FIRST surviving heli pilot flew from left, like f/w, and was unwilling to take the risk of switching to the right to check out his fellow pilots. So all subsequent pilots learned to fly from right side, and here we are. This is so glibly plausible as to seem silly; does anybody know?