Right of Way

[malecontrol]

The aircraft that has the other on it's right shall give way.

I was asked by a colleague why is the above statement phrased as it is. Why not just say the one on the left shall give way or the one on the right has the right of way.....both ways it has the meaning. Apparently someone took 20 years to figure out why!!!! So does anyone know why such a phrasing?

I have posted this question on the professional pilot training forum too.

Thanks

[Spitoon]

Because it places the obligation to act on the pilot of the aircraft that has to give way.

[BrATCO]

And because it's easier for the pilot to know wether the other traffic is on his own right (or left) than to determine if he is on the right (or left) of the other traffic.

Why do we have to yield to the traffic coming from the right ?
Because the pilot's seat's on the left...

First mid-air collision of airliners - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_mid-air_collision_of_airliners)

[John R81]

We give way to things coming from our right. Captain sits left fixed wing, or right helicopters, but "on the right, in the right".

[ATC Watcher]

Simplier; this comes from the Navy, the first naval international regulations stipulated : "the ship on the left must give way ".
The first International rules for Aviation just copied naval ones ; hence the term :" Navigate " still used today.

(Not Wikipedia but my old French Air Force ATC navigation book ).

[malecontrol]

Thanks for all your replies.