Cirrus PIC from Right Hand Seat - Legal?

[The Grim EPR]

I was wondering if anyone knew if it was legal to fly a Cirrus from the right hand seat (ideally pointing me to a reference).

I can't think of anything that you wouldn't be able to reach from the right seat, although the displays are angled towards the LHS viewing position.

This would be both VFR and IFR in IMC and in UK, French and Spanish airspace.

Any advice much appreciated.

[AdamFrisch]

Can't see why not. Don't think there's any aircraft with dual controls you're not allowed to fly from the right. I could be wrong.

[Fuji Abound]

Solo right hand and alternate air and fuses could be a problem as well as dme and terrain if fitted in the usual places, the key could also be fun its a reasonable stretch across - not sure id rush to fly solo pic from the right seat but if nothing goes wrong its clearly mangeable.

[welkyboy]

Why do you need to????

[The Grim EPR]

Thanks gents.

It wouldn't be solo, but the other chap in the LHS wouldn't necessarily be a qualified pilot (possibly a student part way through the course). I'm not an instructor, but have flown from the right with an instructor a few times.

[18greens]

Instructors do it all the time and we don't have extra long arms to reach the buttons.

Is it legal? Don't think it isn't. The only arbiters might be your insurers if your aren't an instructor. That and the fact it feels weird to switch your hands over for the first few times. After that it feels weird to go back to the Lhs. You spend your life reading the ais sideways until you reach nirvana and stop looking at it altogether.

[Jude098]

Its not illegal. Actually I think its a good idea to be able to fly in/from either seat.....well not rear ones of course. If 2 pilots are flying together and have experience in either seat in any GA aircraft then either can be PIC in whichever seat, taking-off, flying S&L or landing. And always useful in an emergency.

I'm hoping to get some C152 & C150 RH experience to add to some C337 RH seat I have.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Check the limitations section of the POH. If there is no specific prohibition then right hand seat is permitted. Even if there is a prohibition it will probably relate only to solo flight. That is the case for the Diamond Katana.

[mad_jock]

I don't think its illegal either POH outstanding in the UK.

If you haven't flown in the RHS before its worth while having some circuits with someone that knows what they are doing before going flying.

I don't know what instruments you have on the RHS but IFR looking across is a whole different ball game with parallax error etc.

You really need though to find out what the rules are though for each country you intend to fly in. I don't have a clue what the rules are in France and Spain or for that matter if the rules are going to change with the EASA stuff.

[Above The Clouds]

Jude098
Its not illegal. Actually I think its a good idea to be able to fly in/from
either seat.....well not rear ones of course.


I fly from the rear seat, whats wrong with that ?

[The Grim EPR]

Thanks again for the advice.

I agree that flying from the right hand side feels very odd the first few times that you do it and I wouldn't have done it without an instructor with me.

My plan is to keep relatively current in both seats. I wouldn't want the first time of landing the aircraft from the right to be the day I HAD to...

I did find flying on instruments a lot harder from the right (no instruments on that side, so had to look over to the left). The parallax error makes a difference and I imagine would take a lot of getting used to, if you were flying in hard, bumpy IMC.

I just didn't want to get ramp checked and told off when the other pilot was in the left hand seat (without all the paperwork to be solo in the aircraft) and I was PIC from the right.

And for MJ especially, I have practiced my chute pulling technique from both seats....! And my diet coke drinking skills (although I spill slightly more in turbulence when flying from the RHS, due to having to hold the bottle with my left hand).

Thanks again

[mad_jock]

YOU spill diet coke from a 2ltr bottle? Talent limited cirrus pilots no wonder they need a chute. :ok:

You know you have cracked it when you can open a tetrapack pint of milk and eat a jock mutton pie while IMC in the RHS flying manual and not get any of the fat dripped on your trousers or the cockpit stinking of rancid milk.

Only done that in a C172 though due to shagged LHS going to maint.

[Whopity]

I have only ever flown it from the RHS, much easier than most tandem aircraft I've flown.

[The Grim EPR]

MJ, I find that it's all about the rigidity of the 2L bottle itself. Your branded Cola fairs far better than Supermarket RolaCola in this respect. An unwanted squeeze of the econo-cola bottle will have a gent's pants soiled in no time.

So if you ever here a Cirrus pilot calling a MAYDAY, it's probably me. This will be down to either:

1 - Distraction issues arising from sugary trousers (this is not slang)

2 - The GPS / moving map packing in (navigation has never been my strong suit). 'If it's not got magenta, I'm not going to enter'

3 - Inability to couple the autopilot to the GPS in NAV/GPSS mode, necessitating the use of the HDG mode, or God forbid actually hand flying

[mad_jock]

Well at least you know your limits. :p

And agree though about drinking peasant brand cola.

They could also do with a bottle holder in light aircraft preferably with a ram air cooling vent directing air onto it.

[007helicopter]

They could also do with a bottle holder in light aircraft

You mean your aircraft does have this?

Another world beating innovation from Cirrus then:ok:

[mad_jock]

Well I have a FO.... And "hold this bitch" is a lawful instruction by the Captain but more than likely the reply would be :mad: off. But we have big bins down the sides which fit a 2ltr bottle quite nicely. There main function is to hold 40kg of manuals which I haven't ever looked at apart from the MEL.

Another world beating innovation from Cirrus then

Aye and more use that the chute :p

Does it have one of those flower holders on the dash that you get in clacker cars?

[007helicopter]

Clacker Cars, no idea what they are.

Anyway I know it is legal to fly from RHS, done it a bit myself.

[mad_jock]

Clacker cars are ones driven by high heeled sales reps and clackers refers to the noise they make when walking on stone floors

[Jude098]

I meant rear seat as in 4+ seats, lol........not rear seat as in tandem :)

[DB6]

My experience is as Big Pistons Forever states. If there is a limitation it will be in the POH and will probably be for solo occupancy only.

[John R81]

If there is a general prohibition for RH seat sol then I am so BUSTED! All my single time is RH.

But then, it is helicopter time - where RH PIC is the norm One machine I fly has a limitation "RH seat solo" due to the location of the fuel tank (W&B) - the other machine's POH says solo either seat.

[mad_jock]

Just to repeat you need to check for each country you intend to do it in.

UK you are fine no problems whats so ever from an Airlaw side of things.


Other countries may not be the same. And may require an instructors rating to do it.