PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - MSc Human Factors on left and right handedness
Old 28th May 2003, 03:58
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Intruder
 
Join Date: May 2000
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As others have indicated, I don't think it really matters. You will likely adapt to the specific airplane rather readily, once you learn to fly one type comfortably.

I started about 30 years ago in Piper Cherokees (left seat; left hand on yoke, right hand on throttle). After I got my license and joined a flying club that had a Super Cub, it took no time at all to switch to right hand on stick, left hand on throttle.

When I entered Navy flight school, the stick & throttle fell naturally to hand. When I went back to small airplanes in the aero clubs, the left-hand-on-yoke setup was just as natural. When I got to try my hand in a Cobra helicopter, the left collective and right sidestick cyclic were no problem (though controlling collective through decel and flare on landing took a couple flights).

Lest you think it's all a "yoke = left hand; stick = right hand" affair, my latest transition was from an Aeronca Champ to 747-400 -- right seat; right hand on yoke, left hand on throttles. The wide reach to the throttles was more disconcerting than the fact I had a yoke in my right hand, but it only took a few minutes to adapt.
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