Stick or Yoke
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Stick or Yoke
I've never understood the attraction of yokes in light aircraft. To me they seem cumbersome and awkward, particularly when having to put in large or rapid control movements. A stick, on the other hand, is comforable and intuitive to use, provides far better control precision and doesn't clutter up the cockpit and control panel as much.
I'm interested to know the opinions of other pilots. Can anyone give me any reasons why a yoke might be better than a stick in a light aircraft?
I'm interested to know the opinions of other pilots. Can anyone give me any reasons why a yoke might be better than a stick in a light aircraft?
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Once we've done this one, we can do
* Wing down versus Crab for Crosswinds
* Tail draggers versus trikes
* Twins versus singles
* Farm strip flyers versus Autopilot Systems Managers
* Fixed Wing versus Rotary
* Wannabe Airline pilot instructors versus old boys
* Women Pilots versus Male Pilots
The list of prejudices goes on and one
Charlie
x
* Wing down versus Crab for Crosswinds
* Tail draggers versus trikes
* Twins versus singles
* Farm strip flyers versus Autopilot Systems Managers
* Fixed Wing versus Rotary
* Wannabe Airline pilot instructors versus old boys
* Women Pilots versus Male Pilots
The list of prejudices goes on and one
Charlie
x
Join Date: Sep 2003
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I agree with Charlie here and "better" is a very subjective term.
I fly many different airplanes with both stick and yoke and don't have a preference or think one is "better" than the other.
Horses for course and all that and not sure where I would put a stick in a 152 or the Sennecca anyway (no lurid sugesstions please!).......
I fly many different airplanes with both stick and yoke and don't have a preference or think one is "better" than the other.
Horses for course and all that and not sure where I would put a stick in a 152 or the Sennecca anyway (no lurid sugesstions please!).......
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A stick is a neccesity in a 'chuckable' aeroplane; if you want fast and accurate control inputs (aeros is the obvious case) then only a stick will do.
I'm not at all sure why non-chuckable aeroplanes have yokes. Even the A320 has sticks.
Can anyone cite an advantage of yokes over sticks?
SSD
I'm not at all sure why non-chuckable aeroplanes have yokes. Even the A320 has sticks.
Can anyone cite an advantage of yokes over sticks?
SSD
(1) Lets me use a bigger kneeboard.
(2) Allows you to use more pull in the flare if the aerodynamicists didn't do their job properly (most medium sized Pipers for example).
G
(2) Allows you to use more pull in the flare if the aerodynamicists didn't do their job properly (most medium sized Pipers for example).
G
Last edited by Genghis the Engineer; 8th Mar 2004 at 20:44.
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I prefer a stick but:-
While a stick is more fun if your passenger is a young lady with a skirt on she might not think it so.
You wouldn't be able to run the seats so far forward on a 172 to let the rear seat passengers in if it had sticks.
Getting into and out of the drivers seat of a PA28, C310, or any of the others with a single door would be a lot more of a performance with sticks.
It's not so entertaining to take your petrolhead friend up for a ride with sticks. Ask him to turn left with a yoke and he can really alarm himself as the roll keeps increasing
While a stick is more fun if your passenger is a young lady with a skirt on she might not think it so.
You wouldn't be able to run the seats so far forward on a 172 to let the rear seat passengers in if it had sticks.
Getting into and out of the drivers seat of a PA28, C310, or any of the others with a single door would be a lot more of a performance with sticks.
It's not so entertaining to take your petrolhead friend up for a ride with sticks. Ask him to turn left with a yoke and he can really alarm himself as the roll keeps increasing
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I'm with Sassenach and SSD.
There are no real advantages to steering wheels; and, to the extent that they encourage people to 'drive' an airplane like a car (with their feet flat on the floor, in uncoordinated flight), they are a menace.
Sticks are very intuitive, and have no disadvantages. They also permit an obstructed view of the panel.
There are no real advantages to steering wheels; and, to the extent that they encourage people to 'drive' an airplane like a car (with their feet flat on the floor, in uncoordinated flight), they are a menace.
Sticks are very intuitive, and have no disadvantages. They also permit an obstructed view of the panel.
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No disadvantage to sticks? Try telling that to the wedding tackle when you have a big bum and an over-enthusiastic backseat driver who carries out a nice high G pull-up.
Still in my limited experience I prefer a stick as it just seems more natural.
Still in my limited experience I prefer a stick as it just seems more natural.
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No disadvantage to sticks? Try telling that to the wedding tackle when you have a big bum and an over-enthusiastic backseat driver who carries out a nice high G pull-up.
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Low wings with sliding canopy are easier entered if they have a stick, while high wings with doors are easier with a yoke. (It´s a really challenge to enter a Husky or a Symphony with that ***** stick exactly where you would like to put your leg).
Sitting left and using my right hand for all that levers and buttons on the center console and the panel, I prefer yokes if ellbow space is limited. Otherwise any left aileron input ends up with my ellbow contacting the sidewall fairing. With the more ´up and down´ movement of the hand using a yoke and the armrest at exactly the right position (for example in the C150) I find it more comfortable.
Anyway, if you have the throttle left (as for the Husky, the Pub and most of the french planes) allowing you flying right handed, I really prefer the stick.
Sitting left and using my right hand for all that levers and buttons on the center console and the panel, I prefer yokes if ellbow space is limited. Otherwise any left aileron input ends up with my ellbow contacting the sidewall fairing. With the more ´up and down´ movement of the hand using a yoke and the armrest at exactly the right position (for example in the C150) I find it more comfortable.
Anyway, if you have the throttle left (as for the Husky, the Pub and most of the french planes) allowing you flying right handed, I really prefer the stick.
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I have to agree with MLS-12D - steering wheels do encourage people to "drive" aeroplanes rather than fly them. And you're right about sticks encouraging better control rudder co-ordination.
I'll make things a little more contentious with another observation: you tend to find steering wheels in aircraft (mostly American types) where the marketing team have had more design input than the aerodynamisists. These aircraft tend to have rather blander handling characteristics, and are very forgiving if you can't be bothered to use the rudder properly. The same aircraft also seem to have instrument panels like airliners that, whilst making the pilot feel like one of the "big boys", also restrict his field of view. Mind you, he probably doesn't care about that because he's too busy fiddling with his moving map GPS to worry about looking out of the window...
... Gosh - dreadfully sorry about that. Did I get a bit carried away there? I'll go and sit quitely in a darkened Chipmunk and inhale deeply!
I'll make things a little more contentious with another observation: you tend to find steering wheels in aircraft (mostly American types) where the marketing team have had more design input than the aerodynamisists. These aircraft tend to have rather blander handling characteristics, and are very forgiving if you can't be bothered to use the rudder properly. The same aircraft also seem to have instrument panels like airliners that, whilst making the pilot feel like one of the "big boys", also restrict his field of view. Mind you, he probably doesn't care about that because he's too busy fiddling with his moving map GPS to worry about looking out of the window...
... Gosh - dreadfully sorry about that. Did I get a bit carried away there? I'll go and sit quitely in a darkened Chipmunk and inhale deeply!
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Centre Sticks?
Diversity is good. One of things we all like about flying is the challenge.
Due to the types I fly, I got used to left hand yoke and right hand stick. I’ve just started flying a type that needs left hand stick and it feels very strange.
I think a yoke is best for cruising and a stick is best for landings (particularly Xwind) and aeros. On balance I prefer stick.
What about centre sticks? I’ve only flown a couple of hours but this config appears to offer best of both. More room for charts etc, but with an intuitive action for diagonal movement.
Due to the types I fly, I got used to left hand yoke and right hand stick. I’ve just started flying a type that needs left hand stick and it feels very strange.
I think a yoke is best for cruising and a stick is best for landings (particularly Xwind) and aeros. On balance I prefer stick.
What about centre sticks? I’ve only flown a couple of hours but this config appears to offer best of both. More room for charts etc, but with an intuitive action for diagonal movement.
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I've flown just over 100 hours in the Bolkow Junior, which has a centre stick. The cockpit is an ergonomic nightmare! There are duplicated throttles at the far left and right of the panel, but you have to reach across with your throttle-hand to get to the carb-heat, mixture, trim and brakes, which are all in the middle of the panel! It's a brilliant touring aircraft for one person, though: you can chuck all your stuff on the right-hand seat, and can put the map conveniently on your knee. I don't find the stick position particularly good for aeros, however.
