Explain to me why a pilot should have a table in front of him instead of the controls.
- it's SO much easier to eat your meal?
Humour aside, a s/s offers a much more attractive way to get digital info from the controls than that large thing thrashing around between your legs.
For combat a/c, having a s/s with an armrest to support the limb means that high g manoeuvring becomes far easier too.