Two Hand Rotation in Boeings. Is this technique essential?
Listen here. I know it is a trivial question, but I am bored while waiting for my ever loving spouse to serve roast beef and Yorkshire pudding this evening. So I thought it time to shuffle the cards and come up with yet another trivial aviation question which has always had me wondering.
Early training in the Air Force of my country accented one hand on the throttle (s) during take off and at most other times - including the landing. Rotation was done with one hand only. Friction nuts in those days were often unreliable - the Dakota being a classic example. A fatal accident occured several decades ago when a drunken ground staff airman "borrowed" a RAAF Dakota for a wager and actually got it airborne one night but when he tried to retract the landing gear with his right hand he took hand off the throttles to do so, but he forgot to tighten the friction nut first. Both throttles slipped back to idle and that was the end of the unfortunate airman. He won the bet but lost his life.
Pilots using side-sticks as in the Airbus use one hand on the throttles and the other on the side-stick during lift off and climb out. Yet, traditionally, Boeing pilots transfer the hand off the throttles at V1 and use both hands to rotate and initial climb until autopilot engagement. When hand flying a 737 (for example) the manufacturer recommends one hand on the throttles and the other hand on the control wheel.
With regards therefore to the last paragraph, why are two hands needed for rotation in Boeings? Does that include the B777 too?