Barkston FireFlys

[GeeLoc]

Why does the QFI sit on the left / stude on the right in the Barkston H Fireflys?

The follow on is, will the ac be returned to the more conventional arrangement when they are sold off?

Dull question, probably been asked before - but grateful for the answer.

GL

[BEagle]

So that the little dears can learn to fly with left hand on noise levers, right hand on control column - 'cos that's what they do in Brenda's fast jets and one mustn't make it too difficult for them. Although they managed OK in the 'dog...

Mind you, it did make me wonder about obeying the normal Rules of the Air (eg rights of way, following line features etc) which assume that the Commander sits on the left......

I don't think that the Barkston ac should need any mods to be flown 'conventionally'.

[The Nr Fairy]

'Cos they're doing the right thing and preparing the stude for the rotary world ? :D

[Runaway Gun]

The RNZAF do the right thing and seat PltOff Smithers in the left hand seat. Luckily Pacific Aerospace designed a throttle quadrant on the left side for the LH pilot, and a quadrant in the middle of the cockpit for the RH pilot. Voila! Both have the throttles on the left. I bet that idea was a freebie thrown in by a keen engineer.;)

[moggie]

Makes sense to fly with left hand on throttle - it is what they will do on Tucano, Hawk, F3/Jag/GR4/Typhoon, B737 when they join eastJet as an FO etc.

[expedite_climb]

Actually I thought it was because the US Navy was the biggest purchaser of the mil. fit firefly, and it was cheaper to buy them that way....

[Runaway Gun]

Ha! Since when does the UK MoD buy off-the-shelf US gear, and retain it as standard? They have to change something, spending a bucketload of useful pounds in the process, to get something at least a little bit inferior. An example... Apache. Anyone else got any ideas?:cool:

[expedite_climb]

Yes good point. Could have sworn I read about this in flyer a few years back...

[Heeed]

I thought the manufacturers mocked one up specially for the MOD. The aircraft is now privately owned and currently flies out of a strip near Sleap with all the bells and whistles still on (although I'm not sure what they're for ;) )

[Runaway Gun]

or maybe to boost the price...

[kitwe]

The US Navy did not buy the Firefly- The US Air Force did (they don't fly them anymore). Just to complicate matters, only the RN students train on the Firefly 260 and they occupy the right hand seat. The Army Air Corps students now fly the Firefly 160 and they sit in the left seat! (that scuppers the helo theory!).

[Bob Viking]

I did JEFTS at Church Fenton, rather than Barkston but the firefly's we flew on (260's) had a duplicated throttle on the left hand side and although they have various other models at Barkston I'm pretty sure the throttle arrangements are the same. I think the reason stems back to the manufacturer since the main instrument fit is on the right hand side of the cockpit and therefore the stude gets the full display rather than the left seats partial display.

[16 blades]

When JEFTS was (as originally) at Topcliffe, and all they had were the original batch of 160s, all studes flew LHS and there was a repeater throttle on the left side.

[Dan Winterland]

...which only served to get in the way. The only way I could apply full left aileron in the left seat was if I lifted my left leg over the throttle and put the stick under my knee. Of course this meant my foot was now off the rudder pedals. Slow rolls to the right only!

The thing was never suitable as a military trainer IMHO.

[AllTrimDoubt]

The original JEFTS contract using 160's followed convention in having the PIC seated LHS. With the revised requirement for a more capable and powerful a/c - the 260 - the opportunity was taken to relocate the PIC (and primary instruments ) to the RHS, therefore preparing the stude for the position he will occupy in his next (rotary) role. Both seats have a throttle.

With the advent of the new DEFTS system, the RN continue to use the 260 and the Army lose out by reverting to the 160 (and a shorter course!)

[kitwe]

A further twist to the tale - the RAF Multi-engine Lead-in Course at Cranwell now uses the Firefly 260. The special-fit 160s that they used are going to Middle Wallop for Army grading, replacing the standard 160s that the Army are transferring to Barkston!

[Jordan D]

Since when does the UK MoD buy off-the-shelf US gear, and retain it as standard?

I may be a little over my head in this thread, but surely the AWACS are an exact example of this?

Jordan