Yet another sidestick thread

[mattjones17]

To any Airbus pilots out there (and I'm sure you've been asked this one before!)

Is it more difficult to fly if the sidestick is on the "wrong" side? i.e. for right-handed Captains, or left-handed FOs?

[Kestrel_Stu]

Not really, it's no different to flying aircraft with a conventional control column. If you think about it, the pilot flying from the right hand seat of a 737 will have their left hand on the thrust levers and right hand on the control column during the approach and landing phase, and vice-versa for the left hand seat pilot.

What's the difference?

[mattjones17]

Yeah I guess you're right - I sort of thought that more precision would be necessary on the sidestick than on the thrust levers - but even then I guess that a large jetliner is not going to be responsive and precise enough on the sidestick to cause problems anyway?

[Sir Herbert Gussett]

Fly-by-wire !

[Nubboy]

Obviously never suffered from the dreaded airbus overcontrol in roll on finals then:ok:

[CJ1234]

no and i never understand that. i see captains with years of experience ballsing up simple aproaches. very frustrating.

[CaptainBloggs]

My biggest problem with the side stick was changing seats and using my left hand to do what I'd become comfortable doing with my right hand. Whilst there's opportunity for smut here, I'll just say that the comparison you may be making is pretty much about right!

The difference between the side stick and a control column is that you could use both hands on the control column at some stages of flight. Furthermore, prior to flying airliners, an airline pilot would have spent quite some time flying light aircraft from the left hand seat. The idea of using your left hand to operate a control column is perhaps more familiar than the side stick (unless you use one with a computer game, and you're left handed).

[Springer1]

I was curious too as to how well I was going to handle the side stick on the left side. At the time I owned an RV-4 with a center stick and being right handed I had a hard time with finess when flying it with my left hand.

Turned out it was a non issue as my left arm is supported and you are actually flying the Airbus with your wrist.