York Throttle position - #10693
Yes JW411, the York's throttle positioning was unusual (though I believe the Catalina's was similar) but was dictated by the aircraft's front end design; for with the pilots being seated high in the nose, with a sort of chasm between them, there was no other option. Given the standard Transport Command policy of engineer-operated throttles, setting them according to the pilot's command, this made life complicated (and potentially hazardous) for flight engineers who had to balance themselves with one foot beneath the captain's seat and the other wedged somehow under the navigator's table with no means of restraint provided. Whether or not the civil world used the same dangerous system I don't know, I rather doubt it as throttle setting by either pilot was perfectly possible if perhaps rather awkward as compared with the the vast majority of other aircraft.
I had personal experience one day of the RAF's dangerous SOP when detailed to act as engineer on a short-notice internal flight, no qualified engineer being available. Given my 6ft 4 inch frame it was quite a job lodging myself in the approved position, but all went well until arrival at destination where the runway was out of use for repair and we had to land on the grass alongside. Whether or not this put the pilot off I don't know, but he made such a hard landing that my knees gave way beneath me and I fell backwards into the gangway several feet below, mercifully without injury - I was indeed most fortunate, no bruises or cuts and I did not even bang my head!
It has always seem odd to me that that this dangerous practice was tolerated by a system that also rigidly enforced the use of full harness on take-off and landing for other crew members - but then, as we know, the RAF could at times be rather short on logic!